On Race and Taxes, Both Parties Insist Upon Speaking No Evil

By Imara Jones, Colorlines

Our current national argument over taxes, debt and the fiscal cliff is nominally about balancing spreadsheets and the arcana of economic formulas, but it’s actually about race. And the fact that those on either side of the budget conversation—both Democrats and Republicans—will not acknowledge as much prevents us from having an honest conversation about what’s at stake.

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The fact that America won’t acknowledge the debate over taxes is a proxy for one over race is not a surprise. That’s been true since before its founding, before there were such things as Democrats and Republicans. Northern colonies had asked to leave the British Empire for years over the issue of taxes; the South would have none of it, until an English court ruling threatened slavery. Since the beginning, America’s quest for independence was declared to be about taxes, but it was animated by race.

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Some wealthy people want to pay more taxes, however.

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