Beck and Moore Falsely Claim U.S. Is ‘One Of Highest Taxed’ ‘In The World’
Beck and Moore Falsely Claim U.S. Is ‘One Of Highest Taxed’ ‘In The World’
Yesterday, conservative pundit Glenn Beck and Wall Street Journal economics writer Stephen Moore, falsely claimed that America is the second-highest taxed country in the world:
MOORE: It`s a real problem. I think it`s one of the reasons, Glenn, the stock market is down. I think it`s one of the reasons the dollar has been falling. You and I have talked about that many times on this show.
It`s the root of all evil, the collapse of our currency. And it`s because we have gone from 20 years ago being one of the lowest taxed countries in the world. Under Barack Obama, we would be one of the highest taxed countries in the world.
BECK: Well, we already are number two, are we not?
MOORE: Well, we`d move to number one.
Watch It:
Beck and Moore have their numbers all wrong. The Tax Policy Center reports that America’s “tax burden is low,” and notes that the U.S. “raises significantly lower tax revenues as a percentage of gross domestic product than do most other countries in the OECD.”
Similarly, the tax burden of the average American family is 11.9 percent, far below Sweden’s 42.4 percent, Poland’s 42.1 percent, and France’s 41.7 percent.
Beck’s reference to “number two” likely describes America’s corporate tax rate. And while the United States does have the second highest corporate rate on paper, the effective tax rate is “in line with the rest of the world’s”:
The effective tax rate on equipment financed by equity is 24 percent, the same as the G-7 average. The rate on equipment financed by debt is minus 46 percent, meaning that the government actually subsidizes these investments rather than taxing them.
Perhaps Beck and Moore should consult Eric Toder, former director of the office of research for the Internal Revenue Service, who explained simply, “When you look at the overall tax burden, the U.S. is quite low.”
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Perhaps Beck and Moore should consult Eric Toder
I don’t know about Moore but I would say that Beck should consult his calender and decide to never again report for rant-jockey duty.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pmThis really isn’t fair. You guys are judging Beck by standards that don’t apply to him.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pmWait, I thought they didn’t care what happened in the rest of the world. Tune in tomorrow when they warn that raising taxes will turn us into Sweden.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:40 pmBut will anyone at CNN point out that Beck was wrong? I doubt it.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:40 pmAnd, given the number of corporate tax dodges, loopholes, credits, bonuses and sheer thievery, corporations got it easy here, and in the Caymans, etc…
July 16th, 2008 at 2:41 pmPeople get confused why beck lies all the time. His messages are not meant for the knowledgable public. His messages are purely designed to be listened to, and heard by, our lovely Low Information Voters (LIV). It is them who beck speaks to, and they will never know enough to wonder about or question his words.
That is the plight of this nation right now. Lazy, uneducated citizens relying on ‘pundits’ like beck to keep them fully informed.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:41 pmRU,
And don’t forget Halliburton’s move to Dubai. Where Darth has his multi-million dollar condo
July 16th, 2008 at 2:44 pmThe Iraq war has had the effect of pouring our national treasure, and our children’s into the coffers of Blackwater, Halliburton et al.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:44 pmI am filled with a nostalgic longing for the days when journalists and columnists actually checked their facts before spewing them on the world, and actually cared that what they printed/broadcast was accurate. Why? Because they were part of an industry where integrity and credibility was everything. Anyone caught making untruths like this would be immediately discredited and never trusted again.
Now it seems that you can say any crap that comes to mind, no matter how ridiculous, and you’ll never get called on it.
Pity.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pmupside, I’m tempted to create a startup company RenditionsRUs and make a fortune kidnapping, er, rendering these ex-Bush administration felons to Den Hague.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pmJebus. Two idiots blabbering at each other…you might as well have a couple of 4 year olds on the teevee.
Just as long as they were spoiled rotten little brat 4 year olds…
July 16th, 2008 at 2:47 pmWell, Beck’s just dumb and what can you expect from Moore, an “economics writer” who doesn’t bother to understand the most basic concepts of the things about which he writes.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:47 pmIs there any chance someone could buy an advertisement segment on the illustrious tube for all of the idiots out there who trust their tee vee ? One that states that free speech is very much alive on your television and in your government and that there is no rule against lying so you should in no way believe what they tell you .
July 16th, 2008 at 2:48 pmBECK to MOORE: “Well, we already are number two, are we not?”
Yes, yes you are a couple of shitheads Glenn.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pmNow it seems that you can say any crap that comes to mind, no matter how ridiculous, and you’ll never get called on it.
Pity.
Yep. And I remember in the olden days when the journalist made darn sure the story was not about themselves. They kept clear of relationships and associations where their objectivity would be suspect. They stood tall in order to provide the most ‘information’ not gossip or innuendo.
Most of the ‘talking heads’ are merely actors or pretty dimwits. They are more concerned with their facetime on TeeVee than truly doing the selfless work of a journalist.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pmtax the rich, feed the poor
tax the rich until they’re rich no more.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:50 pmDid Beck say this before or after he and Moore suçked each other off?
¶ AIO
July 16th, 2008 at 2:53 pmWhere in the world are they getting these rankings then? I don’t understand how they can just be allowed to get up on TV (more specifically on news, something that’s supposedly fact based) and say things like that with no corroboration.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMore stupidity from Beck, I am so surprised…but he knows that the LIV (regressive cons) will eat this up, they will never, ever think to look it up to see if it is true.
Some times I wonder how in the hell did our country come to this point…but then I see aholes like Beck and Moore and it all makes sense. The Rush’s, Limpballs, Mann Coulters, Spawn Insanity’s have added in the dumbing down of the 28%ers to the point where we have a nation divided, the Idiot Knuckle-draggers, and the rest of us.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:57 pmYes, there was a day you could turn on a Walter Cronkite and actually believe what he was telling was the truth.
Not so much today.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:00 pmOK, I’ll give Beck a pass as he’s a reporter and not an economics Guru. But an economics writer for the WSJ doen’t know that we have extremely low taxes in relation to other countries ??????????????
Of course, having lived in several states, I’m always amazed that a sure fire call to arms in every election is “Our state’s taxes / insurance rates / ….. are higher than almost any other state’s”
HINT: you can’t all be in the top 10 %
July 16th, 2008 at 3:00 pmZed, next time your house, or better still, your neighbor’s house catches fire, just stand there and laugh, because without the taxes you pay to your local governments, there’d be no fire department to put the fire out before it consumed your yurt.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:03 pmMapleStreet Says:
OK, I’ll give Beck a pass as he’s a reporter …
WTF? No, he’s pretending to be a reporter. Perhaps right wing shill might fit better, just recommending…
July 16th, 2008 at 3:05 pmPax.
huh?
July 16th, 2008 at 3:05 pmI guess I need a troll translator now.
or the trolls could move to Simolia where they won’t pay taxes.
ANY OTHER ideas where our trolls could live?
tony and lido
So, Led, you don’t have a sherrif, or schools, or roads?
July 16th, 2008 at 3:09 pmANY OTHER ideas where our trolls could live?
~bentley1
In their mommy’s basement?
Under a bridge?
No?
July 16th, 2008 at 3:09 pmSo, Led, you don’t have a sherrif, or schools, or roads?
~RUCerious
Or electricity, or phone service, or potable water delivered to its home…
July 16th, 2008 at 3:10 pmMoore won’t be happy until income taxes are eliminated completely. He’s buddies with Grover Norquist.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:11 pmA couple of cogs in the vast right-wing conspiracy machine
July 16th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Zed Lefflin Says
July 16th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
“…levy tax, (I live at 1052 ft above the levy)…”
____________________________________________________________
I realize this was probably just an honest typo from you, but you gave me a chuckle that brightened my afternoon.
I think that “levy tax” is redundant. Perhaps you meant “levee tax”?
On the other hand, you may feel like you are taxed so much that you really DO pay a “levy tax”…
July 16th, 2008 at 3:15 pmZed, how did you get your trailer that far into the woods?
These types of idiots amaze me. LIV all the way.
Do you steal your neighbors chickens?
July 16th, 2008 at 3:15 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
Now it seems that you can say any crap that comes to mind, no matter how ridiculous, and you’ll never get called on it.
Pity.
I was saying earlier that all you need to do is begin your statement with “I heard that…” and it instantly makes whatever you have to say true, along with a built-in consensus group.
Cuz if you heard it, it must be true, and everyone else must be talking about it too! Wow, the news is now just as accurate as my family’s very own rumor mill. I heard that my Aunt Helen used to be a man…
July 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pmZed Lefflin Says
July 16th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
RU the closest fire station is 30 miles from my house and is all volunteer ….I must rely on myself for protection.
_______________________________________________
If you live in a fire district and have to pay taxes for fire protection AND there isn’t a way for the fire district to provide you with the fire protection you’re paying for, you’re getting rooked.
How does your community justify this?
July 16th, 2008 at 3:19 pmStratRat Says
July 16th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
“That is the plight of this nation right now. Lazy, uneducated citizens relying on ‘pundits’ like beck to fill their ears with the comforting crap they want to hear.”
There — fixed it for you.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:24 pmThis thread makes me want to watch the “Green Acres”
July 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pmepisode where Oliver wanted to sign up for the volunteer fire department, but was unable to play a musical instrument, a necessarity in Hooterville,
tony and lido
Beck and Moore Falsely Claim U.S. Is ‘One Of Highest Taxed’ ‘In The World’
Who??????
July 16th, 2008 at 3:26 pmHey, Zeffy – by your Repuke rules, YOU *chose* to live there.
So, I’m going to respond to you using my best Republican voice:
Quitcher whining, ya lazyasss pussy, and PULL YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS!!!!!!
July 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pmZed,
July 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pmThe only thing that is overtaxed is your mind.
Calling Stephen Moore a “writer” for the Wall Street Journal is as misleading as calling Beck a “journalist”. Moore “writes” on the editorial page of the WSJ which, even before Murdoch bought the paper was every bit as much of a wingnut talking point-spewing fact vacuum as Beck’s merry little show. No surprise that he doesn’t have a clue about taxation in the U.S. versus the rest of the world. The fact that some dim bulbs believe this sh*t is however appalling.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:40 pmBack on track, Republicans love to say that decreased taxes pay for themselves. Lets carry that through to its logical conclusion. If we eliminate all taxes, then the Federal government can do everything with nothing. Woo-Hoo, I qualify as a Tax Expert! Leporello for President!
July 16th, 2008 at 3:42 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
Buckie Boy Says:
“Zed, how did you get your trailer that far into the woods?
Do you steal your neighbors chickens?”
i don’t want to know what he does to those chickens, or other farm animals for that matter.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:42 pmBeck’s hemorrhoids have metastasized to his brain.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pmNot surprising given he’s had his head up his ass most of his adult life.
Perhaps Beck and Moore should consult Eric Toder, former director of the office of research for the Internal Revenue Service, who explained simply, “When you look at the overall tax burden, the U.S. is quite low.”
Wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference. The GOP are like used car salesmen, they’ll say anything to make the sale.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pmclb72 Says:
Wait, I thought they didn’t care what happened in the rest of the world. Tune in tomorrow when they warn that raising taxes will turn us into Sweden.
Not a bad deal, as long as you add the health care the Swedes get to the higher taxes, I’m all for it!
July 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pmZed Leffin, what is your family size? The 11.9% figure cited in the article is for a married couple with 2 kids. Single with no kids the figure from the original chart is 29.1% which is closer to the 21.7% you cited for last year.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:09 pmHere are the data OECD used to get the numbers (for 2005); “the combined effects of personal income tax, employee and employer social security contributions, payroll taxes and cash benefits.” So some of the taxes you mentioned are not counted in the OECD tally and would put you at a higher percentage.
That said, according to http://www.heritage.org/research/taxes/wm1628.cfm federal tax rates for 2007 were predicted to be only slightly higher than the 40 year average pulled from the following graph http://www.heritage.org/research/taxes/images/WM1628-chart1-lg.jpg . This means the US federal tax burden is comparatively low, but when you keep in mind the extra services they get in countries like France and Sweden, it should rightfully be lower.
However, looking at the taxes as a portion of GDP for the other G7 countries it was 33.9% in 2003. According to the linked heritage.org article, US total tax share as a percentage of GDP was around 27.9% in 2006. It appears Beck and Moore are wrong about the United States being one of the highest taxed in the world, but the story might be different when you add in the corporate tax rate for all parties involved in the comparison.
And if we lower taxes anymore, how are we going to pay for the oil wars in the middle east? How we going to pay the trillion dollar subsidies for the oil companies? How are we going to pay for all the bail outs of banks? How are we going to pay for all the welfare we give corporations???
I mean, someone has to pay for these leeches, right?
July 16th, 2008 at 4:10 pmgitrdone,
July 16th, 2008 at 4:17 pmIt all trickles down (Your leg?).
More lies
July 16th, 2008 at 4:35 pmZeff..it seems these morons are too busy listening to themselves to actually HEAR what you’re saying. Like you, I live in an area where a disporportionate percentage of tax revenue goes to support another area.
And for the genius that has the solution to everything (”why do you live there ?”) – the ability to move isn’t something that everyone is afforded. It not always just THAT simple….
Now, for the rest of you that may feel the need to lampoon me, I have a degree in Business Administration w/a minor in Economics and DIDN’T just fall off the turnip truck yesterday. And if that isn’t enough, I also work for my state’s Dept of Revenue. I realize the importance of taxes and how that funds certain aspects of our society. But 11.9% !!!! WTF ?!?!??! Who’s ass did THIS figure come from ??!??! I haven’t paid 11.9% since I started working full-time once I was out of college. Go smoke some more crack ! And as for blaming Dubya for the economy and the weak dollar – last time I checked he wasn’t the ONLY politician in office. Do not get the idea that I’m supporting him or justifing his actions – but if it wasn’t for the bleeding-heart, pansy-assed liberals who want to give everything away maybe this country wouldn’t be in the shape that it’s in. The over-taxing of hard-working Americans to give to the growing population of lazy, good-for-nothing, non-working shit-bums and baby-factories who see remaining pregnant and living off the government as a way of life is going to be the REAL demise of this country. It’s not the liberals or the conservates, it’s the moral of this nation and indifference of this and future generations….
July 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pmAh the welfare queen myth. I tell this bedtime story to my children as well.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:20 pmTake it easy, MmmMmm Good. You’re gonna pop a vein.
I bet you didn’t buy that long term care insurance, and I’m not paying my tax dollars to have someone wipe the drool off your chin.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pmWho’s ass did THIS figure come from ??!??! I haven’t paid 11.9% since I started working full-time once I was out of college.
~MmmMmm Good
Speaking of morons, did you click on the link, Mr. Degree in Business Administration? Because you do know how to do that, don’t you?
You didn’t pay 11.9% because we are not talking about tax rate, but tax “wedges” -which you would know had you clicked on the link and read the bloody article before you posted your babble and made a fool of yourself.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:35 pmThese ELITISTS in the media like Glenn Beck know that the U.S. has supposedly the 2nd highest corporate tax rate (even though the effective tax rate is so much lower) of course, but everyone should see that theirs is a corporate agenda…and they do not have the average American’s best interests at heart. When will we ever learn that the ELITIST media does not have our best interests in mind?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:37 pmCome on MmmMmm:
You can go laying out some zany shit like that and then just leave us hanging..
So Zooey wanna make another baby?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:40 pmMmmMmm Good Says
July 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
But 11.9% !!!! WTF ?!?!??! Who’s ass did THIS figure come from ??!??!
________________________________________________________
Did you check out the link before embarking on your rant? The “ass” this figure comes from belongs to a Paris-based think tank called Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. Apparently, they pull data for 30 countries and put forth a comparison list every year.
The “11.9%” figure that got your shorts in a knot is for the average married couple with two children (I personally pay a higher rate than that because I have no children, plus I earn slightly more than the average person). The average rate for a single childless person is 29.1%. Furthermore, the figure reflects ONLY federal income tax and SS taxes. It doesn’t figure in state taxes, local taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, or any of the other taxes we pay.
OECD uses these standards for their data so they can compare apples to apples. The point is not that they claim everyone here pays only 11.9% in taxes — it’s that we pay less in taxes than other countries when you compare like data between them. And this is what debunks the claims that Beck and Moore were making.
The rest of your rant isn’t worth responding to even if it was on topic, which it isn’t.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:40 pmplease add a ‘t
July 16th, 2008 at 5:40 pmdbadass Says:
——————————————————————————–
So Zooey wanna make another baby?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
What the heck, the fun is in the trying. :)
July 16th, 2008 at 5:50 pmMy sister lives in England. She has been there for 25 years. About 5 years ago her relationship went south on her and she started contemplating moving back to the states. But then she started thinking about what she would be leaving behind if she left England. Here are some of them 1) free health care, 2) assistance if she was out of a job and not just for 6 months, 3) assistance if she needs to find a new home (financial and resource assistance) and 4) an old age pension she can live on quite nicely. Then she started thinking about what she would have if she came back to the USA. It was a no-brainer that she decided to stay in England. And she was paying 45% of her income in taxes. She thought it was worth the investment, especially knowing that there were not millions of people in her adopted country without health care.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:25 pmFollowing up on my post about my sister in England, I started doing some math. I realize that I maybe pay 35-40% or more of my income in taxes, and I certainly don’t get any of the things my sister gets. I would be more than happy to pay another 10% in taxes if I got all the things she gets from her taxes.
But, then, if our government stopped pouring our tax dollars into “star wars” and the rat hole that is Iraq, there might be enough tax money left over to give us some benefits for the taxes we pay.
My sister once asked me if I knew the difference between England and the USA. Her answer was that England considers it’s citizens to be it’s most valuable asset and the USA considers our corporations to be its most valuable asset. By george, I think she’s right.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pmBuncha whiners, eh?
July 16th, 2008 at 7:41 pmFor those of you who never tire of reading “Republicans Lie Again”, there is a recording of all 26,000 versions of this story on CD which allows you to listen to the news at your convenience and as often as you like and where you would like without sarcastic comments from poor people.
July 16th, 2008 at 9:13 pmWhen asked if he considered himself an idiot, an imbicile, or a Mormon, hGlenn Beck replied, “I used to be an idiot before I became a Mormon.”
July 16th, 2008 at 9:32 pmRUCerious, I agree that Beck is a shill. No problem at all.
BTW – Interesting idea – Why not tell Beck that as he apparently doesn’t like living here with our high taxes, that he should leave the country. You know, back to the 60s – America: Love it or Leave it ?
July 16th, 2008 at 10:47 pmThey never take into consideration that in this country we have a COMPULSORY education system whereas in other cetcountries students are subjected to a series of exams to determine if they are to continue on an academic track.Bedava mp3 indirLook around the world. Many countries are being way more sucessful than we are at both taskssohbet.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:37 pm