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Can Taxing Fairly Save a Country? — An Alternative to the “Lean State” of Neoliberalism

Jakub Ferencik
11 min readDec 30, 2024

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Many of us have been discussing taxation with friends of late because of the legacy of the “lean state” politics of neoliberalism in societies. This is especially true with the return of US President-elect Donald Trump in politics — who promises to cut taxes on the wealthiest American citizens.

So, I thought I’d address the topic again from my blog. The truth is we need a tax rate that supports a robust welfare state. That has proven to benefit society the best because, remember, the question is not what is best for those of us who are the most hardworking.

Those of us who like to work hard do so because of factors we had very little to do with. We were born with talents, ambitions, and drive that some simply do not have. That does not make us better; indeed, in ways, it makes us worse. We can be insufferable, impatient, and treat others poorly.

Society is best structured in a way that gives the worse off a better shot at life. And if that means the wealthiest among us have less to spend on their yachts, then so be it.

That said, it’s my belief that the tax system should not overtly penalize the middle class. Indeed, the tax system should perhaps be the most generous to the middle class.

Let me explain.

“Here is the simple, straightforward reality: The uber-capitalist economic system that

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Jakub Ferencik
Jakub Ferencik

Written by Jakub Ferencik

Journalist living in Prague | Author of “Up in the Air” and “Beyond Reason” on AMAZON | MA McGill Uni | 750+ articles with 1+ mil. views

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