Honestly the Tax Positivity stuff started out as a troll, but like all good troll positions I’ve come to see it as the correct position over time. The number of people who are up in arms about my tax appreciation posts sort of proves my point

Taxes are an incredible innovation that have helped solve massive collective action problems, and and made possible the advanced societies that we all reap the benefits from. Of course we should celebrate taxes!

Many of the problems with public policy in the US are rooted in an aversion to taxation. We jump through hoops and choose second-best solutions all so we can brand policies as not “taxes” (see: means-testing, the individual mandate, tax advantaged savings accounts, etc)

Many on the Left also seem to have internalized this anti-tax sentiment, and it can lead to situations where progressives agree with Grover Norquist about every tax except those on billionaires, or playing word games to claim we don’t actually need taxes at all

Now, obviously what matters is the spending. With the exception of carbon and LVT, I wouldn’t tax just to burn the money. And we don’t need to pay for every dime. But there’s no path forward for the left if we don’t get over our national tax-phobia