This is a slug for a new primer I've been meaning to write for months. The first article is just a way to get me motivated.
5 Myths about your taxes (Washington Post)
2. Americans are overtaxed.
In 2007, federal, state and local taxes claimed about $3.8 trillion, or 27 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. That's nearly $13,000 for every American. Two-thirds of tax revenues went to the federal government.
It may sound like a lot, but other developed countries collect even more. In 2006, taxes in 30 of the world's richest countries averaged 36 percent of GDP; only Mexico, Turkey, South Korea and Japan had tax rates lower than ours. And taxes in many European countries exceeded 40 percent of GDP because these nations offer more extensive government services than the United States does.
I don't think this will change any minds on the right. They have no interest in facts anymore. Reality is only what someone told them it was, and which felt good for them to hear—or repeat.
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