Jon Stewart went where just about 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 wouldn’t if they knew where the money went? Well, we found out, and now we hate it even more,” Apple TV+’s “The Problem With Jon Stewart” host said on Friday’s episode.
“Our tax system redirects our money from the middle class to the middleman,” he said. “Worst episode of ‘Shark Tank’ ever. All the things we’re paying for out of pocket, other countries pay for with taxes. But we can’t do it that way because that would be considered… [dramatic pause] socialism.”
Cue the ominous thunder and lightning.
“Americans can’t make a buck. Bad Uncle Sam reaching his dirty little paw down our pants. We pay federal taxes, state taxes, property taxes, tax on gas, alcohol, cigarettes, diapers, tampons…,” he said, his ire building with each addition. “We gotta be the most taxed people in the world.”
As a graphic rolled showing the average income tax burden across the world on a one-earner married couple with two children, Stewart asked, “What do we got there? Really? Eight percent is the average tax burden in the United States of America? That can’t be right. Point is this: It’s low. Lower than you’d think.”
The list scanned upward until it stopped at countries like Sweden and Finland, which pay considerably more. “So,” Stewart said, “I mean, if we’re mad, those 38%-payin’, meatball-eatin’ Scandies must be absolutely outraged.”
Apparently not. “I love to pay my taxes,” one person interviewed on the street in Sweden said, while the next said, “It’s a little high, but it’s good too.” These people seemed happy because their system is working.
Person after person interviewed in one of those Scandanavian countries said they never had to worry about getting sick because insurance was paid via taxes. Same with daycare for children, schooling and childbirth. In fact, in Finland, after childbirth, the government issues a baby box that includes “pads for your new leaking body” and condoms “so you don’t pop out another one right away.”
“But those are Socialist countries, ice hippies,” Stewart pointed out. “Surely, countries that don’t use reindeer bones for money are singing a different tune.”
Nope. More happy people, cheering about free prescriptions, access to good education and health care, and free medical care for children.
“Wow. It’s amazing what you can pay for when you haven’t been allowed to have an army,” Stewart said sarcastically, getting a mixed reaction from the audience. “In 2022, Americans paid almost $5 trillion to the government in federal taxes alone. So what do we get?”
People in America answered: fights with insurance companies over coverage (and lack of it), unaffordable daycare, no vacation, no benefits, tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, etc.
READ MORE: Jimmy Kimmel Throws a Parade for All the Random Stuff His Show Claimed on Taxes (Video)
Stewart sat down with Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, to discuss why our tax system is so broken.
“You’re working in an institution… That, you know, you have two political parties, you have different philosophies,” she said. And, we have lobbyists. When Congress was working on the negotiation of Part D (prescriptions) of Medicare, the 535 members of the House and the Senate were matched by 600 lobbyists, who “prohibited us from being able to negotiate price.”
“Taxpayers put all this money out but they don’t get the value back. That’s the thing that fundamentally feels like it has to change,” he told DeLauro.
“Well, we can change it,” she assured him.
“Oh,” he said, looking totally shocked. “Well, why didn’t you tell me that at first!” he added gleefully.
You can watch that interview in the video below to hear how Rep. DeLauro said how to make that change happen.
