It’s tax time again — and while we understand many of you might consider the topic dreary at best (and scary at worst), this discussion with tax policy expert Vanessa Williamson about why taxes are not just democratic but downright revolutionary may change your mind.
We talked to Williamson late last year, but given the season, we’re making the interview available to all. We hope you’ll support our work — consider joining us today.
In The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History, author Vanessa Williamson explores how the story of American democracy is a story about taxes, from the Revolutionary fight against taxation without representation, to Progressive efforts to make the consolidation of extreme wealth impossible, to the conservative argument that taxation is theft. Williamson told us about:
How the Boston Tea Party wasn’t a revolt against taxation, but an Occupy-style protest against the bailout of a too-big-to-fail company
Why high-tax countries are more democratic than low-tax countries
What’s truly radical about a progressive tax
Why American citizens identify as “taxpayers”
What happened to the funds the Trump White House impounded
And how to get Americans to embrace the idea of paying their share
If you pay taxes and want to know more about why, you won’t want to miss this one. Just click on the video player above to watch the conversation.
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