Jon Stewart went where almost every American goes when talking about taxes – why are we paying so much? Where is it going? And what can we do about it?
“Sure, people hate taxes — but maybe they don’t know where the money went? Well, we got it, and now we hate it even more,” the comedian told Apple TV+ on Friday night. But in an episode of “The Problem with Jon Stewart”.
“Our tax system redirects our money from the middle class to the middle class,” he said. The Worst Episodes of “Shark Tank” sometimes, All the things that we are paying out of pocket, other countries pay with taxes. But we can’t do it that way as it would be considered-,” dramatic pause, “socialism.”
Cue the ominous thunder and lightning.
“Americans can’t make a penny. Bad Uncle Sam reaching for his dirty little paws down our pants, we pay federal taxes, state taxes, property taxes, taxes on gas, alcohol, cigarettes, diapers, tampons. ..,” he said, his anger building up with each addition. “We should be the highest taxed person in the world.”
As a graphic rolls out showing the worldwide average income tax burden on a single earning married couple with two children, Stewart asked, “What did we get there? Really? The average tax burden in the United States is 8%? This Can’t be right. The point is: it’s less. Less than you’d think.”
The list was then scanned upwards until it stopped in countries such as Sweden and Finland, which pay Enough More. “So,” said Stewart, “I mean, if Were Crazy, those 38%-pein’, meatball-eating Scandies must be absolutely pissed.”
apparently not. “I like to pay my taxes,” said one person interviewed on the street in Sweden, while another said, “it’s a little high, but it’s also good.” These people seemed happy because their system was working.
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After being interviewed in one of those Scandinavian countries the person said he didn’t have to worry about getting sick because insurance was paid through taxes. Same with daycare for children, schooling and childbirth. In fact, in Finland, after the baby is born, the government issues a baby box that contains “pads for your newly leaking body” and condoms “so you don’t immediately pass out another one.”
“But they are socialist countries, ice hippies,” Stewart pointed out. “Certainly, countries that don’t use buck bones for money are singing a different tune.”
No. More happy people are excited about free prescriptions, access to good education and health care, and free medical care for children.
“Great. It’s amazing what you can pay for it when you’re not allowed to have an army,” Stewart said sarcastically, to a mixed reaction from the audience. “In 2022, Americans paid nearly $5 trillion to the government in federal taxes alone. So what do we get?”
The people of America replied: Fighting with insurance companies over coverage (and lack thereof), Affordable daycare, no vacation, no benefits, thousands of dollars in student loans, etc.
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Stewart sat down with Representative Rosa DeLauro, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, about why our tax system is so broken.
“You are working in one institution… you know, you have two political parties, you have different philosophies,” she said. And, we have lobbyists. While Congress was working on negotiating Medicare’s Part D (prescription), 535 members of the House and Senate were matched by 600 lobbyists who “prevented us from being able to negotiate a price.”
“Taxpayers took out all this money, but they did not get the value back. That’s something that fundamentally feels like it has to change,” he told DeLauro.
“Well, we can change that,” she assured him.
“Oh,” he said, completely shocked. “Well, why didn’t you tell me earlier!” He happily added.
You can watch that interview in the video below to see how Rep DeLauro said this change could happen.