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America Used To Be Great at Taxing The Rich…

Historian of American capitalism Professor Eli Cook joins WIRED to answer the internet’s burning questions about capitalism. Who invented capitalism? Do corporations have more power than governments? How would life in the U.S. look if it wasn’t a capitalist society? Answers to these questions and many more await on Capitalism Support. #Capitalism #History #WIRED Still…

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Historian of American capitalism Professor Eli Cook joins WIRED to answer the internet’s burning questions about capitalism. Who invented capitalism? Do corporations have more power than governments? How would life in the U.S. look if it wasn’t a capitalist society? Answers to these questions and many more await on Capitalism Support.

#Capitalism #History #WIRED

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385 Comments

385 Comments

  1. @johnlofaro-g4t

    October 1, 2026 at 2:29 pm

    Under Eisenhower, one of the greatest economic periods in the US, the highest tax rate was 90% on earnings over 1 million per year

  2. @sidthekidgoat

    October 1, 2026 at 3:07 pm

    Corporations shouldn’t pay any federal tax

  3. @starkparker16

    October 1, 2026 at 3:08 pm

    If you had a bunch of money would you let it trickle out of your grasp?

  4. @Tim.r-l8w

    October 1, 2026 at 3:13 pm

    There is no such theory as “trickle down economics” in economics. Ronald Reagan never used the term.

    This guy is obviously not an Economist.

    • @Obscurai

      October 1, 2026 at 8:12 pm

      Just because Reagan never used the term, doesn’t mean that the term didn’t describe his policies.

    • @Tim.r-l8w

      October 1, 2026 at 8:18 pm

      ​@Obscurai Trying to increase economic activity as a good in and if itself isn’t “trickle down economics”. There’s no such theory in economics.

      People using the term were either bad faith opponents to his policies or ignorant People who have heard the term somewhere and repeat it.

    • @Obscurai

      October 1, 2026 at 9:27 pm

      @Tim.r-l8w The term is a pejorative description of a failed policy. No one is saying that it was an economic theory, but it did succinctly describe the failed policy.

  5. @waynesaban2607

    October 1, 2026 at 3:14 pm

    Trickle down economics works _EXTREMLY_ well for Corporations and the wealthy….

  6. @waynesaban2607

    October 1, 2026 at 3:15 pm

    Trickle down economics works _EXTREMELY_ well for corporations and the wealthy….

  7. @benjaminpeace1853

    October 1, 2026 at 3:32 pm

    America has the most progressive tax system in the world. Goes against the narrative but it’s true.

    • @reginaph828

      October 1, 2026 at 3:37 pm

      This is patently incorrect

    • @Obscurai

      October 1, 2026 at 8:10 pm

      Given that Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Japan, and Canada all have higher effective top rates proves this statement incorrect.

  8. @markoo4728

    October 1, 2026 at 3:45 pm

    Yes. And when we had higher tax rates…the economy was robust.

  9. @Eclipce051

    October 1, 2026 at 3:54 pm

    this is the baby boomer economic

  10. @cleatusbrownjr

    October 1, 2026 at 4:10 pm

    People are greedy. It’s simple. Give CEO’S more money and they buy another yacht, private jet, or mansion..they don’t give it away

  11. @data_kaiju

    October 1, 2026 at 4:21 pm

    A lot of those funds kept at the top are kept in assets as well so it’s literally not possible for it to trickle down because they would have to give you a house.

  12. @davidsullivan3205

    October 1, 2026 at 4:22 pm

    Nobody forgot. The rich just purchased the US Congress and wrote all of the laws and tax codes that would benefit them and forced the legislators to vote in favor of them. Since the entire DC political establishment owed their jobs to the rich, new laws and tax codes that benefitted the common people were never written nor enacted. The rich got richer and used that new-found wealth to purchase the US government.

  13. @notavailable5216

    October 1, 2026 at 4:28 pm

    As someone who has worked for/with the 1%, I can personally attest they are monsters. They do not think, live, sleep eat or breathe like you or I.

  14. @Fred-s7c4l

    October 1, 2026 at 5:06 pm

    No.

  15. @chillpillology

    October 1, 2026 at 5:12 pm

    i met the guy that invented the term and worked for Reagan. he told me point blank he made it up because he was told he needed to come up with a justification because the tax cuts had to pass.

  16. @marc07112

    October 1, 2026 at 5:20 pm

    He speaking FACTS, in the 1920s, they were getting taxed at like 80%. Now we say we’ll tax them 5-10% and they threaten war. INSANE

  17. @Latalalata-pc5

    October 1, 2026 at 5:59 pm

    It’s a complete lie and right wing subhumans defend it to this day

  18. @Nanopoder

    October 1, 2026 at 6:00 pm

    Bring an Economist, not a Historian to discuss these topics, please.

  19. @Just_Kenneth_63

    October 1, 2026 at 6:02 pm

    no

  20. @Kate-ms2mn

    October 1, 2026 at 6:21 pm

    “Trickle down economics” was a name given to neoliberalism to make fun of what a silly idea it was. Nowadays, people seem to think it’s actually the theory, and they argue keynesianism is the same thing as marxism. Political and economic illiteracy has become the norm

  21. @MrAndrewLawrence

    October 1, 2026 at 7:01 pm

    No.
    This video could’ve been five seconds long.

  22. @thebootknifer

    October 1, 2026 at 7:26 pm

    Too bad the excuse is, “but our shareholders! If they only make 1b instead of 1.25b this year, then the company will go under and no one will have a job!”

  23. @richardbaxter6127

    October 1, 2026 at 8:11 pm

    Actually Kennedy was starting this and was assassinated before he could do that and Reagan picked up the ball and went forward with it.

  24. @Baskeva

    October 1, 2026 at 8:26 pm

    Absolute lies

    • @timcarbone007

      October 1, 2026 at 9:45 pm

      ? Go on…

  25. @Blanche-ranch

    October 1, 2026 at 8:53 pm

    Groudon and Kyogre been telling Rayqueeza lies….

  26. @DearArkLoveTori

    October 1, 2026 at 9:37 pm

    Here after falling down a Georgism rabbit hole

  27. @zch91

    October 1, 2026 at 10:08 pm

    Literally every single thing in this video is incorrect. First off, here isn’t a thing called “trickle down economics” It’s called supply side economics. And the whole point is, if there is nothing to buy, you can’t buy it, because it doesn’t exist. Trickle down economics is what people who can’t understand that, if there is nothing to buy, you can’t buy it, call supply side economics.

  28. @ConfusedMiceGaming

    October 1, 2026 at 10:36 pm

    rayquesya?

  29. @gobblegobble8432

    October 1, 2026 at 10:38 pm

    This needs to be required for everyone to see. Simple and to the point.

  30. @HansPedersen-p1f

    October 1, 2026 at 11:09 pm

    The only thing trickling down are the costs and expenses. Corporate Fascism. Corporate Socialism. Corporate Welfare. Most labels kind of works to illustrate the problem. People giving away all of their money and power to corporations, with the eternal promise of them getting everything back with interest one day. Even though there is and never will be a contract.

  31. @MrPBM06

    October 1, 2026 at 11:16 pm

    thanks for giving another clear example how if you were born in it after the 80s you are basically effed by greed

  32. @benjaminharcourt4861

    October 2, 2026 at 2:43 am

    “Forgot” lol

  33. @AshrafAli-dm2hv

    October 2, 2026 at 2:51 am

    This can be seen in India as the Modi government has imposed massive taxes up to 28% on the poor the economy has gone downhill.

  34. @whanowa

    October 2, 2026 at 3:25 am

    A large, worldwide revolution is in order. This systematic abuse needs to be toppled. The working people of so many nations are nothing more but wage slaves while everything gets more expensive, but the rich get richer and more powerful by the day.

  35. @jelehan88

    October 2, 2026 at 3:48 am

    Trikle downs to the lawnservices

  36. @JustFlyAway

    October 2, 2026 at 5:32 am

    Sounds like commie sheep propaganda tbh. This guy isnt even an economist

  37. @oscararaque6275

    October 2, 2026 at 9:48 am

    It is about balance. Reward innovation and help industries thrive but keep a tight grip to make sure they don’t abuse the workers. Capitalism works when the regulations and boundaries exist to prevent wealth to amass at the top.

  38. @machinshin2253

    October 2, 2026 at 9:49 am

    Trickle down economics as known as BS back in the 19th century when it was known as “horse and sparrow economics “, ie “feed the horse and the sparrow gets the droppings”

  39. @SlashKill04

    October 2, 2026 at 10:52 am

    Trickle down economics has the same structure as a pyramid scheme.

  40. @Taporeee

    October 2, 2026 at 12:46 pm

    Pissed on

  41. @Aivern

    October 2, 2026 at 3:07 pm

    Would be more convicing if he wasnt so emotionally charged

  42. @G.D.Acosta

    October 2, 2026 at 3:19 pm

    Regan was Satan incarnate, the amount of suffering his administration resulted in is insane

  43. @momocblack

    October 2, 2026 at 9:27 pm

    It works if you make taxes higher for the rich

  44. @helenahandebasquet

    October 3, 2026 at 2:27 am

    Give a rich man 1k he’ll shove it in the bank, he has everything. give a poor man 1k he’ll spend it on things he needs, or desires.

  45. @YokubouTenshi

    October 3, 2026 at 3:15 am

    Keynesian isn’t the opposite of trickle-down, it’s interventionist economics.
    Classical trickle-down economics is giving private companies tax breaks and other incentives, and hope the capital trickles down the economy.
    Keynesian economics is giving government the power to raise capital and inject it when the economy needs it.

    They are not mutually exclusive.

    One example where both are employed at the same time is:
    During a recession, the government wants to boost the economy by incentivizing factories construction. It issues bonds and create a program that gives rebates to corporations that build factories (Keynesian). It hopes that by doing so, these companies will build factories and hire more workers, and when they compete for these workers, their wages go up (trickle-down).

    Unfortunately, these corporations build the factories but it’s manned by robots, hiring little to no workers, the corporations get to keep the rebates as a bonus on top.

    This results in both a failure of trickle-down policies (little benefit to workers) and a failure of Keynesian economics (corporate profit has a low money velocity and low tax receipt).

  46. @winklenator

    October 3, 2026 at 5:50 am

    We have a CONSUMER based economy in the US and most of the western world. If only the wealthy can afford to spend money outside of bills, the economy worsens. You have to support the working class.

  47. @bryantbarnhart3631

    October 3, 2026 at 10:56 am

    Key fact: A prosperous middle class that has money to spend is what drives economic growth.

  48. @JohnnyOU08

    October 3, 2026 at 11:13 am

    Alternate title: “History professor doesn’t understand economics and finance.”

  49. @techcafe0

    October 3, 2026 at 1:00 pm

    Thatcherism / Reaganism / Neoliberalism / Trickle-down economics… we all got robbed while the rich got richer.

  50. @Ucat66

    October 3, 2026 at 2:12 pm

    I don’t buy it at any time in your diatribe mention the politicians stealing all the taxes like California.
    So no you are wrong, taxes to the rich to fatten politicians NO.

  51. @evillemike2009

    October 3, 2026 at 2:30 pm

    Like Grandma said: Water the roots, child – not the leaves.

  52. @Shinyodo

    October 3, 2026 at 4:09 pm

    You’re telling these old people that complain about how things were better when they were young and could buy a house are fighting against an economy that allowed them to do so ?

    That we had a completely different approach to taxing the rich during the golden age of america ?

    That we kept going for 40 years and things are only getting worse and we still say “keep going, it’s gonna be great” ?

    Nah i don’t think there’s a correlation, pure coincidence clearly.

  53. @S0upDr4g0n5

    October 3, 2026 at 6:05 pm

    No, thats why we are a bit fed up at the mo.

  54. @frazergray7548

    October 3, 2026 at 8:20 pm

    Ngl we don’t need an expert to answer this one

  55. @empurress77

    October 3, 2026 at 8:47 pm

    Time for Flood up economy!

  56. @peni1641

    October 3, 2026 at 10:16 pm

    Trickle down economics sounds like dictatorship.

  57. @tomacco3456

    October 3, 2026 at 11:32 pm

    They kind of forgot about greed

  58. @blakeschwab7518

    October 4, 2026 at 12:30 am

    yet until recently Republicans were seen as better on the economy despite every statistic saying the exact opposite in a drastic way. Republicans used to be Keynesians as well, Reagan sent us on the path of economic destruction.

  59. @muaddib2004

    October 4, 2026 at 4:59 am

    Can’t believe this is still a question?!.😂

  60. @terryparish2304

    October 4, 2026 at 4:54 pm

    It’s called “trickle” for a reason. And it’s not because it’s a “flow”.

  61. @XB700

    October 4, 2026 at 5:04 pm

    What about monetarist economics?

  62. @theoldar

    October 4, 2026 at 6:00 pm

    A viable middle class requires redistribution. No ifs, ands or buts.

  63. @romulusnr

    October 4, 2026 at 10:12 pm

    You can also see a direct line between subsidies and downsizing. Giving the rich more money just rewards them for doing things that are bad for the economy

  64. @iamalittler

    October 5, 2026 at 10:06 am

    Reagan broke everything

  65. @crashoverride93637

    October 5, 2026 at 10:39 am

    So I’m just hallucinating the high min wages now and the low unemployment numbers ….

  66. @tretolien1195

    October 5, 2026 at 11:08 am

    Of course you would attack a strawman instead of engaging with actual economic ideas, typical.

  67. @minophis

    October 5, 2026 at 3:02 pm

    Over 40 years trickle down economics has shown that if you give rich people and large corporations more money they keep it.

  68. @MLL3210

    October 5, 2026 at 6:59 pm

    The problem with trickle down economics is you start to run out of other people’s money. Sound familiar?

  69. @ufumbduck

    October 5, 2026 at 7:31 pm

    Costco is a great example

  70. @Korrade-os5nn

    October 5, 2026 at 8:15 pm

    It is completely unfair to compare a post WW2 America to America in the 80s and 90s.

  71. @IdMonster00

    October 6, 2026 at 1:08 pm

    Runs opposite to Human Nature.

  72. @ravesoldier20

    October 6, 2026 at 4:08 pm

    Can you get an economics guy to teach us history next.

  73. @melissaritchie9235

    October 6, 2026 at 9:25 pm

    Define trickle. They got us on a technicality.

  74. @jeannietrudell7237

    October 7, 2026 at 7:30 am

    America was never great. Read historical newspapers and tell me it was. Just believe the fiction writers selling you fake narratives and fantasy. I know because I write fiction.

  75. @christinaify

    October 7, 2026 at 9:38 am

    *looks around* no.

  76. @jeremyglass4283

    October 7, 2026 at 2:13 pm

    I’ll quote James Talarico, candidate for senate in Texas
    “Trickle down economics isn’t a theory, it’s theft!”

  77. @WholeCelery

    October 7, 2026 at 6:32 pm

    This makes me so mad

  78. @abelity3210

    October 8, 2026 at 1:27 am

    80s 🇯🇵

  79. @chemquests

    October 8, 2026 at 7:26 am

    It was a great BS pitch that worked on republican voters

  80. @nickinportland

    October 8, 2026 at 1:59 pm

    Well he doesn’t sound biased at all

  81. @garvandragon

    October 8, 2026 at 2:08 pm

    You know theres a post i saw saying since trickle down economics doant seem to be working we ahould try pinata economics and beat the rich with a atick till money comes out

  82. @SamaelOriah

    October 8, 2026 at 2:38 pm

    Basically the rich keep more of their money and don’t put more of it into the system

  83. @awesomesauce8083

    October 8, 2026 at 3:03 pm

    I read somewhere that trickle down economics was formerly called horse and sparrow economics in the late 1800’s. The idea is that the horse ate the grain and then pooped , leaving the sparrow to dig around to find what remained undigested to eat.

  84. @ilovegaming114

    October 8, 2026 at 4:07 pm

    Preach the truth❤🎉

  85. @Gonzeaux7

    October 8, 2026 at 4:25 pm

    Keynesian economics also did well in growing the national debt

  86. @GR-uc1dr

    October 8, 2026 at 5:16 pm

    There’s more millionaires in america than the rest of the world combined, clown. And most “underprivileged americans” are better off than most people in the world (with the exception of healthcare, which is a clusterfuck of your own creation and desire to keep insurance companies rich… not a tax issue)

  87. @KEW2026

    October 8, 2026 at 5:48 pm

    Say it louder for people in the back 👏🏻

  88. @emmanuelporte4201

    October 8, 2026 at 5:57 pm

    If you’re living in 2026 and you’re asking that question, then you have your answer

  89. @flottenheimer

    October 9, 2026 at 12:36 am

    Someone also brainwashed most americans to believe that countries with high taxes are communist. And that paying as little tax as possible is ‘Freedom’.
    Well, have it your way.

  90. @rockerjim8045

    October 9, 2026 at 2:38 am

    Never existed. It’s Trickle up Economics

  91. @johndavies-qt6sh

    October 9, 2026 at 3:07 am

    The 3 biggest lies according to ChatGPT:
    1) The check is in the mail
    2) Trickle down economics
    3) I won’t come in your mouth

  92. @spacemonkey1776b

    October 9, 2026 at 9:16 am

    No, next question

  93. @Hiram8866

    October 9, 2026 at 9:24 am

    Richard Cantillon wrote about this in the 1700s. New money introduced into the economy will be taken first by the rich.

  94. @ozonecandle

    October 9, 2026 at 10:02 am

    it works great on paper, but in practice, no.

    • @theWikitiki5

      October 9, 2026 at 8:29 pm

      Even sounds stupid on paper to be honest

  95. @Nusanceaccountant

    October 9, 2026 at 10:22 am

    Politicians didnt even believe in trickle down econ. They were paid to pass laws that benifited buisnesses

  96. @derekdavis1305

    October 9, 2026 at 4:11 pm

    Trickle down bs and the war on drugs have cost working class people trillions over the last 4 decades.

  97. @Ronnet

    October 9, 2026 at 4:53 pm

    They started calling it “communism” during the red scare and America has been going further and further into the abyss ever since.

  98. @natalieramirez5833

    October 9, 2026 at 5:21 pm

    It takes a room-temp IQ to legitimately buy into the belief that throwing taxpayer money (in the form of tax breaks) at rich parasites, who achieved success through insatiable greed (because how else do you amass $ on the scale of billions?), will lead them to suddenly become altruistic and want to pump the brakes on their own wealth accumulation, and instead reinvest in the rest of the country

  99. @drsoupsco6846

    October 9, 2026 at 6:57 pm

    I remember actually being taught in school that Keynesian economics was “an incorrect outdated assumption” on how to run a capitalist economy … needless to say America has pretty overt propaganda, we just tend not to recognize it as such.

  100. @Praetor_Fenix420

    October 9, 2026 at 8:03 pm

    Trickle-down economics is a metaphor for the ultra-rich peeing on everyone else.

  101. @mitchwalker2963

    October 9, 2026 at 8:15 pm

    No. Help no

  102. @kenmaxfield7058

    October 9, 2026 at 8:23 pm

    It’s always been no! Just NO

  103. @TheBierman19

    October 9, 2026 at 8:37 pm

    They didn’t forget

  104. @Iansco1

    October 9, 2026 at 8:42 pm

    Keynsian is, boiled down, POOR PEOPLE SPEND. RICH PEOPLE HORDE.

  105. @wildgoosespeeder

    October 9, 2026 at 9:04 pm

    The idea of just giving a class of people more money that already have it way too good in hopes of good charity towards the little guy without reinforcement to actually cause a trickle down is asking for them to just abuse their power to change the deal at any time that still benefits them.

  106. @RjWolf3000

    October 9, 2026 at 9:22 pm

    Trickle down economics is just capitalism.

  107. @RichardBlaine-s3w

    October 10, 2026 at 10:12 am

    Even the Republicans never believed in trickle-down. It was always an obvious a lie to sell tax cuts for the rich. Remember even George HW Bush called it “voodoo economics” in his campaign.

  108. @brandons9138

    October 10, 2026 at 10:52 am

    The other thing that changed was rules for stock buy backs. Companies can now spend more money buying back their own stock. That pumps up the price making the company more valuable.

    In the past that money would have been used to invest in the company creating more jobs or paying workers more.

  109. @theinvisiblewoman5709

    October 10, 2026 at 11:12 am

    That was a nice way to say “Ronald Reagan destroyed the American middle class” for those who wants to know which president spearheaded trickle down economics

  110. @Love_Light_Lilith

    October 10, 2026 at 11:13 am

    Dude is a historian and expert on capitalism, and yet STILL the comment section is filled with people defending trickle down. Yall really are beyond saving 😂🤣

  111. @scottmcshannon6821

    October 10, 2026 at 11:48 am

    it works better than any other idea.

    • @RedMooshroom42

      October 10, 2026 at 12:12 pm

      Taxing them correctly works better

  112. @coloradowalt6184

    October 10, 2026 at 12:04 pm

    There are these guys call “Financial Advisors “ the wealthy use to help them grow their wealth. These guys tell their clients to put their money in certain investments so they can have “generational wealth “ for their kids and grandchildren…so that negates any possible benefit of trickle down economics.

  113. @lordsavyj

    October 10, 2026 at 12:19 pm

    Never too late to tax the rich.

  114. @Caleb_Crow

    October 10, 2026 at 12:24 pm

    Industry chamged dramatically during those that period; not just economic structure. You’re talking about the Industrial Revolution vs. the tech boom. I still agree that the keynesian vs. austrian economic model has both positive and negative outcomes when it comes to the growth of the middle class

  115. @HobbiesGamesChillin

    October 10, 2026 at 12:36 pm

    Trickle down is a lot like communism

    In theory it could lead to good. In practice all it’s done so far is r@pe the average person until they are left bloody and half dead in the street by some ruling despot

  116. @joshbotofborg2577

    October 10, 2026 at 12:39 pm

    When you want to build anything, you start with a Strong Foundation, not the roof/top

  117. @corkyn34

    October 10, 2026 at 12:41 pm

    I love it when people say “the system is broken …” . No, my friend, the system is working EXACTLY as intended, and that is the real problem

  118. @TheDiscoDevil

    October 10, 2026 at 1:05 pm

    The problem is these idiots don’t know what human behavior is

  119. @wclark3196

    October 10, 2026 at 2:25 pm

    TL;DR: No

  120. @galt57

    October 10, 2026 at 2:29 pm

    Of course the wealthy avoid high income taxes by simply having no income. They have teams of lawyers to figure out tax avoidance schemes. Usually they take out loans against their assets.

  121. @mkklassicmk3895

    October 10, 2026 at 3:08 pm

    It is called Supply Side Economics and it was invented in the 60’s. It definitely works but it has limited usefulness.

  122. @Fizzler99

    October 10, 2026 at 4:00 pm

    That must explain why the US, UK and Europe experienced the greatest boom since the war through the 80’s into the 90’s then.

  123. @dirkschulz7282

    October 10, 2026 at 4:49 pm

    ppl didnt forgot, they exploited it to become more rich than richy rich.

  124. @TheShawnMower

    October 10, 2026 at 4:55 pm

    Feudalism

  125. @tombeegeeeye5765

    October 10, 2026 at 5:46 pm

    No Truckle up would have been better tax them spend at the bottom and let the money trickle up Money always trickles up. On its way it would have helped so so many.
    Instead we have a 40 trillion debt,
    Our children will curse us..

  126. @gregdenson7544

    October 10, 2026 at 6:20 pm

    Incentive free tax cuts didn’t get us anywhere.
    We should go back to Eisenhower era tax structure.
    90% progressive taxes, but tax write offs for actually growing the economy.

  127. @Tcrumpen

    October 10, 2026 at 6:36 pm

    People didn’t forget about the other way. The people at the top are basically bankrolling and paying off the people who would suggest the other way, cos they don’t wanna give up their money

  128. @skinnerback7270

    October 10, 2026 at 6:38 pm

    Marxist propagandist pretending to be an economist promoting the absolutely failed Keynesian economics which led to massive inflation and overwhelming debts…….this guy is a huckster and anyone who believes him is a moron

  129. @thosetwodudes

    October 10, 2026 at 6:39 pm

    No

  130. @philwatchesyt

    October 10, 2026 at 6:48 pm

    So giving the wealthy and corporations a pass to not pay taxes means they keep all the money and none of it is paid to the workers who actually generated that profit for them, who would have seen that coming?

  131. @Emperorling81

    October 10, 2026 at 9:22 pm

    Strange how as soon as the trickle down started… there was a drought.

  132. @guessundheit6494

    October 11, 2026 at 9:09 am

    “Trickle down” was ALWAYS a lie, and its proponents knew it. It was a fiction invented to reduce taxes on the thieving rich and shift the burden onto workers.

  133. @Michael-sb8jf

    October 11, 2026 at 9:42 am

    anyone anyone
    voodoo economics

  134. @michaelA-d3m

    October 11, 2026 at 10:09 am

    I love how you give no technical explanation or anything substantial rly to support your claim

  135. @Fooma777

    October 11, 2026 at 10:43 am

    Convenient that everyone trickle down benefitted had personally known Reagan and lobbied him to make it happen. The answer is no, burn the corps.

  136. @thatjoeguy7348

    October 11, 2026 at 11:45 am

    The phrase ‘trickle down economics’ was a Democratic talking point, not a Republican position. Reagan’s goal was to give everybody a massive tax cut and he did and it was a huge break for those of us just starting out.

  137. @jeffreyferreira3811

    October 11, 2026 at 11:49 am

    It “works” in that if you tax the crap out of the billionaires, they are just going to lay employees off and pull out of the stock market and make life harder for the working class. Wealth doesn’t trickle down in the way the right says it does… But we have to keep these rich sociopaths happy or people will lose their jobs

  138. @jtracy0283

    October 11, 2026 at 11:50 am

    Big part of why I love FDR

  139. @syko2695

    October 11, 2026 at 11:59 am

    Nobody is ever going to raise salaries if they don’t have to

  140. @mattg6290

    October 11, 2026 at 12:39 pm

    Didn’t the fact that they called it Trickle not raise any bells or whistles? Why not Flow down Economics? Call it a trickle, and it didn’t even do that.

  141. @madprole5361

    October 11, 2026 at 12:45 pm

    Revolutionary socialism or bust.

  142. @SongSparrow1

    October 11, 2026 at 1:57 pm

    We gave rich people everything in the hope they would give us something back.

  143. @carf-e1

    October 11, 2026 at 2:29 pm

    Trickle down economics never worked because taxes are charged on what the company *doesn’t spend*

    All the wages and expenses the company pays for gets 0 tax. The profit is what gets taxed. If you reduce taxes on the profit, more money stays at the top. There is no incentive or force making that money trickle down.

  144. @true3d

    October 11, 2026 at 2:43 pm

    Some people forgot? 😂😂😂
    Americans were ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ warned every time a Republican was running for the presidency. It was ignored. So here you are. The US has s crushing debt, and 1000+ billionaires.
    It isn’t really hard to build wealth if you don’t pay taxes, but also get perks.

    Reagan screwed everyone except the rich. The trend continues, Trump is screwing everyone except the rich. 😂😂
    Nobody can say, but I didn’t know. 😂

  145. @Icebearbear

    October 11, 2026 at 3:19 pm

    Oh Ronald Regan, i hope wherever you are, youre stepping on hot burning red coals 😌

  146. @albizu

    October 11, 2026 at 5:49 pm

    “Forgot”

  147. @lokithegodkiller

    October 11, 2026 at 5:53 pm

    The best thing to do for anylaw in my opinion when it comes to the lively hood of everyone is.
    Make a check in time like to make sure the thing is doing what it was suppose to do and being able to revoke it easily if it’s not doing what it’s supposed to do.

  148. @vargasbasti

    October 11, 2026 at 5:57 pm

    América is going backwards

  149. @transam2002ws6

    October 11, 2026 at 6:11 pm

    To sum it up. Reganomics screwed Americans in the 80’s out of a lot of money because it caused recession in that span. Also, job’s are created by the market through consumer needs not the rich not getting taxed.

  150. @runarandersen878

    October 11, 2026 at 6:27 pm

    This needs to be spread more.

  151. @Jesusfreak2639

    October 11, 2026 at 6:32 pm

    “this was the idea” proceeds to lie about the idea and satire it into absurdity

  152. @antonioibarra8436

    October 11, 2026 at 7:11 pm

    There’s no way they really thought that if you cut a greedy billionaire a break, they would share that down the line! Probably the best scam of the century! 😂

  153. @BornQuietGuy

    October 11, 2026 at 7:24 pm

    Collecting taxes and spending the money to create/repair infrastructure and pay community services is the real “trickle down”.

  154. @wunnell

    October 11, 2026 at 8:38 pm

    If the lower classes have enough money to live comfortably and aren’t living in fear of going bankrupt because of a visit to the doctor then they will spend money and that’s good for those at the top.

  155. @mycoolpoole

    October 11, 2026 at 9:05 pm

    Trickle down economics is horseshit. Literally. It was based on birds breaking up and eating the leavings of horses. If the little guy is a bird eating horseshit, that’s a horrible economic system.

  156. @MysteriousSoulreaper

    October 11, 2026 at 9:21 pm

    The money follows the incentives and the legislation.

  157. @neverforged

    October 12, 2026 at 11:13 am

    Trickle Down only works if you realize the rich are not mountains, they are pits… if you give money to the poor, the rich still make bank, since they will spend that moeny and the rich will get it.

  158. @jennyanydots2389

    October 12, 2026 at 11:26 am

    Trickle down works in the sense that they have figured out how to trickle down on us and convince us that it’s raining.

  159. @SubbyKree

    October 12, 2026 at 11:42 am

    Trickle down economics was a term created in the media. It was not invented or thought up by economists. Its a political slogan, don’t fall for it people!

  160. @rayyan-w2n

    October 12, 2026 at 1:18 pm

    Guys I can feel it trickling down🥲

  161. @zachcarmichael699

    October 12, 2026 at 1:21 pm

    Nope, because the ones at the top get greedy and don’t share their profits and successes with people on the lower levels.

  162. @TruthSeeker-o2w

    October 12, 2026 at 1:40 pm

    When they cut taxes etc we saw more billionaires and now a phony trillionaire 😮😂

  163. @mrfoxbunny

    October 12, 2026 at 1:40 pm

    They just bought shares of their own company and essentially inflated what its really worth.

  164. @KingOfMadCows

    October 12, 2026 at 2:19 pm

    Even the name tells you what it is. A trickle means water flowing down slowly drop by drop. The name itself tells you that people on the bottom will only get a fraction of a fraction of the wealth.

  165. @tedwasright476

    October 12, 2026 at 3:24 pm

    That’s true but let’s not forget the elephant in the room, which is the central bank. Every time they print money out of thin air to give it to banks and corporations, they are indirectly taxing you to give your money (read purchasing power) to the banks and corporations. It’s named Cantillon effect.

    Banks get newly printed money, they can buy stuff at pre-inflation prices, the money gets in circulation, it causes inflation and your money lose value because of it. Taxes are something but let’s not forget monetary policy

  166. @Squib.b

    October 12, 2026 at 3:25 pm

    “I’m gonna go with no on this, rayquaza” god of the ozone getting a lesson on reganomics

  167. @darklordnecro

    October 12, 2026 at 3:34 pm

    Only dumbasses think trickle down works.

  168. @Islandkid679

    October 12, 2026 at 3:36 pm

    Why would people assume that the wealthy would be so altruistic that they would ensure an equitable amount of wealth would “trickle down” to the rest of society?

  169. @leorio403

    October 12, 2026 at 3:52 pm

    why is a pokemon allowed to ask a question?

  170. @nopaddle

    October 12, 2026 at 4:13 pm

    No

  171. @jordanguelbert7754

    October 12, 2026 at 4:25 pm

    Power is not made, its consolidated. All giving power to the powerful does is let them sap more through the imbalance

  172. @incompetentpolitician3351

    October 12, 2026 at 4:41 pm

    Jarvis, sort by new

  173. @NurseClippy

    October 12, 2026 at 5:03 pm

    Tax the rich or eat the rich…

  174. @jacobhurtt9309

    October 12, 2026 at 5:29 pm

    The only thing that ever trickles down is sh*t

  175. @fujiwarakentaa

    October 12, 2026 at 7:28 pm

    it’s been rich 👃 lobbying to get their pockets thicker than they ever should be.

  176. @nickpatrick7021

    October 12, 2026 at 7:53 pm

    The “job creators” were on their way to reinvest that money into job creation, but they got sidetracked buying islands and jets.

  177. @the90ties73

    October 12, 2026 at 8:21 pm

    Every sort of economics works when you *are* the tippy top of the pyramid.

  178. @kevineddlemon3049

    October 12, 2026 at 8:27 pm

    Trickle down economics is not an economic theory. The term was made up by leftwing critics of supply-side economics. The real trickle down economics is Keynesian Economics which is what the socialists and commies use where the govt trickles down just enough money to keep you alive and suffering.

  179. @tarrute

    October 12, 2026 at 8:54 pm

    Who knew you give all the wealth to people in a class defined by their hoarding of wealth that they’ll just hoard it!? That’s wild, could’ve never seen that coming!

  180. @racpa5

    October 12, 2026 at 8:58 pm

    It’s a form of Ponzi economics.

  181. @-YogSothoth

    October 12, 2026 at 9:03 pm

    It works well as a diversion to make the rich more money, that’s pretty much it

  182. @aaronyoung8301

    October 13, 2026 at 2:59 pm

    We need to bring that back

  183. @natedave99

    October 13, 2026 at 3:09 pm

    Because the billionaires and companies would
    Just pocket they money themselves instead of giving to the little guy.

  184. @jinshensoon2240

    October 13, 2026 at 3:10 pm

    Not defending the rich, but trickle down economics is not an actual economic term or theory, and can’t be compared to Keynesian Economic. We are today still practicing Keynesian Economic, in a way so I have no idea what this “historian” dude is talking about, it is just politicising. In science you can’t just see how things turns out and thinks the correlation is the cause. At least invite better historian. WIRED, you can do better.

  185. @Drinking1DrPepper

    October 13, 2026 at 3:11 pm

    Trickledown economics is bluntly a sales pitch that voters took face value and didn’t have any critical thinking skills.

  186. @Da-yw7lk

    October 13, 2026 at 3:12 pm

    No way this is a real economist.

  187. @Da-yw7lk

    October 13, 2026 at 3:12 pm

    That is not Keynesian economics………..

  188. @fr1nkly

    October 13, 2026 at 3:54 pm

    Forgot? No. The rich got wise. Under our corporate overlords this will remain.

  189. @Grumpy_Hobbit

    October 13, 2026 at 4:07 pm

    The main problem with a trickle down economy is that the money doesn’t trickle down.

  190. @papa_seizure3540

    October 13, 2026 at 4:25 pm

    For my knowledge, why did it show that taxing the rich more excessively helped the lower class? Like what followed after taxing them heavily

  191. @Belladonna-x2c

    October 13, 2026 at 4:48 pm

    It works, you just need to know that the actual goal is to serve the interests of the wealthy. It’s very good at it, and that’s the reason it such a perennial rallying call among those who own companies for a living and their paid representatives.

  192. @stevegabbert9626

    October 13, 2026 at 4:50 pm

    With what we have now, I would LOVE to pay a million dollars in income tax every year. Do you realize how much I’d be making? Holy crap! It’s somewhere around a major league baseball star salary.

  193. @deepelemblues8217

    October 13, 2026 at 4:53 pm

    America did a mild version of trickle-down economics by keeping Keynesian budgetary policy. Result: high GDP growth, increased wages, increased tax revenue.

    Europe: maintained Keynesian budgetary policies without any trickle-down aspects. Result: America’s economy is now 1.5x larger than the EU’s, when a generation ago they were almost equal. European fiscal health is at Stage 4 colon cancer level. Wage growth has not matched America’s. Continental economy moribund. Europe fell far behind America in the “tech” economy.

    This moron is also lying about America’s tax rates. The effective tax rate on the rich was one of the lowest in the Western world. 90% income tax on the highest bracket pre-Reagan? Try more like they actually paid 17%. Far lower than in Europe.

    Growth? US GDP 1945: $228 billion. 1980: $2.8 trillion. The heyday of high-regulation Keynesian economics. US GDP 2025, after “trickle-down” policies? $30.8 trillion. High-regulation Keynesian economics got blown out of the water.

  194. @spamuel98

    October 13, 2026 at 5:11 pm

    Even George Bush called it voodoo economics because it didn’t make sense.

  195. @mr1991rocksmysocks

    October 13, 2026 at 5:18 pm

    Corporations in 1980 hey government were not happy been taxed proportionally to what we make, I know the economy is doing well but what if you just don’t tax us and will make sure that money trickles down- government yeah seems reasonable

  196. @dendenp9

    October 13, 2026 at 5:22 pm

    There’s only one thing that will trickle down but it ain’t money

  197. @cyasi

    October 13, 2026 at 5:36 pm

    Rich people just invest (among other things)in the housing market…which is why housing is now unaffordable.

  198. @ryaj2356

    October 13, 2026 at 6:46 pm

    After you earn enough wealth, the amount you’re taxed begins to shrink. It’s near 50% until 300k to 500k a year depending on state. Above 500k a year the percentage starts to shrink. You earn a milli or more? It’s less than 25% and shrinking.

  199. @Bluedragon7777

    October 13, 2026 at 6:46 pm

    No one forgot about it the rich bought their way out of it and then bought a new bigger boot to put on our throats

  200. @tnmyat2

    October 13, 2026 at 6:56 pm

    Regan broke america

  201. @Grant112988

    October 13, 2026 at 6:57 pm

    *aggressively taps the “Reagan is the devil” sign*

  202. @simonmahanna7856

    October 13, 2026 at 7:05 pm

    No. Debate over.

  203. @aidandouglas6357

    October 13, 2026 at 7:49 pm

    Trickle down economics is not a real name of a real theory. It’s a catch all criticism for tax breaks for rich people.

  204. @Dannyboy1550

    October 13, 2026 at 7:52 pm

    This is why if anyone actually paid attention to politics in the 90’s/2000’s they would never vote for a Republican ever again. They pushed the idea of trickle down economics so hard, making the promise that it would benefit lower income earners. When they forced major tax cuts through under that premise I remember saying to myself, ok I guess we will see if they were telling the truth, but they weren’t and income inequality exploded.

  205. @edwardjohnb89

    October 13, 2026 at 8:23 pm

    It’s common sense even for us without an economics degree. Sadly, corporate greed trumps common sense. 😅

  206. @Tomanator73

    October 13, 2026 at 9:26 pm

    As an economist, I approve this message.

  207. @dwoolf7019

    October 14, 2026 at 10:24 am

    They didn’t forget, they are re just paying back their donors.

  208. @dwoolf7019

    October 14, 2026 at 10:26 am

    You’d think after 45 years of Reaganomics, people would want a different flavor of Kool aid

  209. @papaminty367

    October 14, 2026 at 11:05 am

    Nobody can cite a single economist that said it was a good idea

  210. @SeymourButts-k2j

    October 14, 2026 at 12:01 pm

    Waiting to get trickled on by people wealthier than you is demeaning don’t you think.

  211. @SirRob24

    October 14, 2026 at 12:11 pm

    Literally the opposite happened and it’s working exactly as it’s supposed to. Trickle down economics has always been a scam.

  212. @johnriley678

    October 14, 2026 at 12:15 pm

    Trickle down economics didn’t start in the 80s. The term came about in the 50s, it was largely discredited. Came back in the 80s under puppet president Regan. But trickle down economics has been the economy for human existence. It is the pyramid scheme to keep “Upper Class” wealthy.

  213. @one_mad_gamer1

    October 14, 2026 at 12:23 pm

    Reagan… reagan and republicans did this. Then, in 2010, SCOTUS said that corporations are “people” and have a first amendment “right” to fund political campaigns.
    So, they made it so that the elite pay no taxes – personally and their business. then, with all that untaxed money, were allowed to fund political campaigns and get those who would do their bidding a seat in office.
    Our democracy has been usurped by ologarchs and fascist.

  214. @gregoryhaas4907

    October 14, 2026 at 12:51 pm

    🤔🐍 when the government is mind controlling people to kill eachother to cover the wealthy mess. Yup. Covid

    • @benjaminhorwitz593

      October 14, 2026 at 4:18 pm

      I see the bots are back 🤖

  215. @OldGuyOnline1

    October 14, 2026 at 12:54 pm

    EXACTLY. Keep voting against your own interests republicans.

  216. @Minorheadlines

    October 14, 2026 at 1:53 pm

    Dragons sitting on the their golden hoard, scaring the peasants

  217. @TenThousandFlowersTT

    October 14, 2026 at 2:05 pm

    Bring back 1950s tax rates

  218. @lightningstrike9876

    October 14, 2026 at 2:31 pm

    Raising my fist to the sky screaming “REAGAN!”

  219. @ghostzyden

    October 14, 2026 at 2:43 pm

    50 years of decline and many people are still convinced that it works 😂🎉

  220. @MobiusN7

    October 14, 2026 at 2:51 pm

    I think one of the big things was that they increased taxes on the little guys.

  221. @benjaminhorwitz593

    October 14, 2026 at 4:16 pm

    Horse and Sparrow. It’s never worked. Typically ends in a war.

  222. @brendancurtin679

    October 14, 2026 at 4:25 pm

    I don’t disagree with anything you say. Trickle down economics is a bunch of BS and our current policies are awful.

    I would just add that there were a lot of other factors for why our economy was so strong in the 40s to 80s. A big one is that WWII decimated so many other countries and their manufacturing base. The U.S. didn’t have much competition in the western world for quite a while. We also had a manufacturing economy we no longer have. And the Cold War led to a lot of government spending on R&D type stuff and subsidizing parts of the economy that make it look like capitalism is great at providing for everyone and is better at it than communism. That’s part of why we had agricultural subsidies that still exist today. The federal government built the interstate highway system (partly for national defense reasons but it’s been a major piece of important infrastructure).

    A lot has changed about our economy, about the global economy and our economic competitors, and so on besides just what our income tax rates are.

    But I agree that we should raise income taxes on the highest earners. And we should invest more in our infrastructure and in our workers and in rebuilding the middle class.

  223. @deeznutzforUrMouth

    October 14, 2026 at 5:24 pm

    Biggest scam..

  224. @LeviCrane-g6d

    October 14, 2026 at 5:30 pm

    Trickle down affect so you enjoy getting pissed on by the assholes who’s taking advantage of you.

  225. @discreetscrivener7885

    October 14, 2026 at 5:57 pm

    To put it to a metaphor— water the roots to make the plants grow.

  226. @nathanmitchell2827

    October 14, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    Nope. Last I checked, those big bonus checks that the c suite helps themselves to, those seem to get bigger while everyone’s salaries remain the same. If the earned money doubles, CEOs salaries typically triple or quadruple, and everybody else averages an increase of 3-5%. Trickle down? The only thing trickling is their waterfalls they build.

  227. @darkslayer366

    October 14, 2026 at 6:41 pm

    Also stock buybacks…

  228. @StaySpicy

    October 14, 2026 at 7:03 pm

    Thanks a lot, Reagan.

  229. @joelacugna6040

    October 14, 2026 at 7:15 pm

    This IDIOT NEEDS TO TAKE A BUSINESS CLASS

    • @carriew20

      October 14, 2026 at 9:06 pm

      He teaches business classes.

  230. @colescrumbs8814

    October 14, 2026 at 7:51 pm

    The little guy spends money, you need money flowing for a good economy if no one is buying things there is ni economy.

  231. @Ripvanbloom

    October 14, 2026 at 8:59 pm

    Taxing the rich more does nothing

  232. @darthsquidious8579

    October 15, 2026 at 1:29 pm

    Communist propaganda.

  233. @thegirllikesmovies7389

    October 15, 2026 at 1:35 pm

    Reaganomics

  234. @christinavuyk2026

    October 15, 2026 at 2:02 pm

    Why are you using the past tense? They’re still using trickle down economics now and have no intention of stopping any time soon…🤔😐

  235. @gamesjunkie

    October 15, 2026 at 2:26 pm

    You’d have to be dumber than Forrest Gump to believe trickle-down economics works.

  236. @staticdave

    October 15, 2026 at 2:34 pm

    Trickle Down Economics was a scam to allow rich people to keep money, pay employees less, and avoid taxes that idiots and mostly Republicans bought into because they don’t think. And they still buy into it after 40 years of doing nothing but making lives miserable, eliminating the middle class, and allowing billionaires to take over the government.

  237. @Cubmaniac7

    October 15, 2026 at 3:10 pm

    I’m rich because I don’t spend money, now give me more money so I can spend it and power the economy? Sounds logical

  238. @kingdavid8657

    October 15, 2026 at 3:14 pm

    The fact you still have conservatives that believe trickle down economics works tells me the brain washing was super effective.

    • @danlikespizza

      October 15, 2026 at 6:21 pm

      What’s the alternative?

  239. @ConradOso

    October 15, 2026 at 3:24 pm

    An interesting factoid is that when the Republican Party introduced this concept, members of their own party called it ‘voodoo economics’ because they knew it was BS. It was just a ruse invented by Milton Friedman to line select pockets. But it sure shows how easy it was to convince the masses. We’ve always been dupes. I feel more hopeful with alternate media sources offering a different perspective.

  240. @serzyph

    October 15, 2026 at 3:25 pm

    Please play more dbd

  241. @vitalivour666

    October 15, 2026 at 3:40 pm

    Instead of having the wealth trickle down, the corporations did stock-buybacks and the wealth flowed into the bank accounts of executives and institutional investors

  242. @G4M5T3R

    October 15, 2026 at 4:00 pm

    The 94% tax rate on the 1% was the single largest contributor to boomer prosperity

  243. @friedbergje

    October 15, 2026 at 4:04 pm

    How do you need to ask the question look at our world trickle down economics is really trickle up economics. More like flooding up economics.

  244. @adamcohen1932

    October 15, 2026 at 5:22 pm

    It’s also called “Regan-nomix”

  245. @jamesickes9744

    October 15, 2026 at 5:30 pm

    Gusher up economics

  246. @TheTypical685

    October 15, 2026 at 6:10 pm

    Gasp, no way!

  247. @MrBBDad

    October 15, 2026 at 6:52 pm

    Anyone who says it works is a moron or a liar

  248. @IjaatKyrayc97

    October 15, 2026 at 7:18 pm

    Trickle down economics and other Reagan economic ideas were never designed to be helpful for the economy

  249. @sammu

    October 15, 2026 at 7:21 pm

    Shoot, the opposite has happened, as Marx/Engels had predicted. I hated Marx’s perspective and parts of me still does, but cannot deny that he called this out as the eventuality of this economic system. Culminates in large companies swallowing competition and becoming massive monopolies. We have been seeing this and continue to see it. In the age of AI, we will see its final culmination.

  250. @kawaimedia1609

    October 15, 2026 at 7:22 pm

    Yea I wouldn’t say the reason for the better performance 1930s-1980s is solely because of high taxes for the rich though. We also had Asia and Europe completely decimated and in dire need of American food, materials,and products for 20 years following ww2. Conservatives look back fondly on that era and say “see, we went to church and had Christian values” and liberals might say “see, we taxed the rich”as reasons for the prosperity, both groups not fully grasping that it was more of a very unusual, rare economic period in human history.

  251. @kratosgamerization4907

    October 15, 2026 at 7:35 pm

    No

  252. @JohnAdamsVII

    October 15, 2026 at 7:50 pm

    Most estimates say US has outsourced 3M to 8M jobs.
    They could easily eliminate outsourcing if they really cared about us citizens over corp profit .

  253. @schuylerbos3818

    October 15, 2026 at 8:13 pm

    I mean we could have figured out what would happen. Corporations won’t just give away money to their workers. They had the capacity to pay their workers more before the tax breaks. Obviously if you give them more money that won’t change.

  254. @tururuuturuut

    October 15, 2026 at 8:18 pm

    tax should be the same for everyone, but percentile based, not a flat number.

    And it should be as close to 0 as possible

  255. @gherreraj

    October 15, 2026 at 8:30 pm

    People didn’t forget. The rich learned how to manipulate the government with their money for THEIR benefit.

  256. @mondrian42

    October 15, 2026 at 9:11 pm

    No

  257. @bellcross-777

    October 16, 2026 at 5:01 am

    No one paid those high taxes.

  258. @framgz6467

    October 16, 2026 at 5:41 am

    Thank you Chicago School for decades of lobbying BS neoliberal ideas

  259. @gauravtomer1031

    October 16, 2026 at 6:32 am

    So no

  260. @EDWalker777

    October 16, 2026 at 7:29 am

    It’s a pity John Hinckley Jr wasn’t a better shot and that Mr Crooks wasn’t properly trained.

  261. @dawidvanstraaten

    October 16, 2026 at 7:32 am

    Trickle down makes the rich, richer

  262. @Oli-v5e

    October 16, 2026 at 7:45 am

    Exactly what I’ve been saying! Please spread this message around the world.

    Back in the early 1980s, the ultra-rich realized that certain politicians could be bought, and they began to reshape the system to serve their own interests.

    We need to take it back!

    We, the people, will never forget!

  263. @SOPARA862k

    October 16, 2026 at 8:36 am

    Having lower taxes doesn’t incentivise you to spend more in fact its the opposite for corporation tax. They will invest in their company if the see a business bebefit to doing so. If taxes are as the tax is after business expenses so they have that incentive to increase R&D and manpower to increase market share.

  264. @daisy_diamond

    October 16, 2026 at 8:53 am

    What a naive statement that doesnt account human greed

  265. @brucedavis191

    October 16, 2026 at 9:15 am

    there an old saying that explains why trickle down fails.. if you give $100 to a poor man he will spending be cause he must. if you give a $100 to a rich man he will save it because he can.

  266. @WiFredC

    October 16, 2026 at 9:44 am

    Yes. The government provides welfare for the 1% and eventually it trickles down to their children.

  267. @ivand0007

    October 16, 2026 at 10:48 am

    I doubt the country was “great” at taxing the rich. If you think that you’ve got a lot of learning to do.

  268. @KurtGellert

    October 16, 2026 at 10:59 am

    Misrepresentation of trickle down. And you don’t GIVE money to anyone. That just drives subservience. Investment in actual job programs and launching new companies works best.

  269. @klipklapklop3359

    October 16, 2026 at 11:25 am

    If we explained it in children terms in might be better.

    If we let Tommy have 99% of the candy he’ll have so much candy he’ll give the rest of the kids candy too

  270. @someoneelse745

    October 16, 2026 at 12:00 pm

    I still haven’t seen anything trickling down to me

  271. @luyihorner7216

    October 16, 2026 at 12:40 pm

    Works for the uber wealthy!

  272. @Dloched

    October 16, 2026 at 1:18 pm

    Short answer: no

    Long answer: also no

  273. @kappadarwin9476

    October 16, 2026 at 1:52 pm

    Wealth inequality is so bad in the US Musk became a trillionaire. You don’t get trillionaires unless your tax system is really broken.

  274. @James-ox1wl

    October 16, 2026 at 1:52 pm

    Instead of trickling down it rushes upward

  275. @simbadg13

    October 16, 2026 at 2:06 pm

    Too bad the people who need to understand this, wont see this…

  276. @akool16

    October 16, 2026 at 2:07 pm

    Keynesian economics worked because of world war 2, America was the the factory during the war and after.

  277. @sudharmansitaraman8377

    October 16, 2026 at 4:24 pm

    This guy is an idiot. Keynesian economics directly led to stagflation in the 1970s. The very good criticism made of Keynesianism is that it seeks to spend its way out of recessions and incurs massive public debt and therefore becomes a self defeating system. The Great Society programs combined with Vietnam produced stagflation in the 70s, and it led to the end of that system.

    The fundamental truth is that value is constant. The Keynesian response to economic stress is to print money and cut taxes. Which is basically the same thing as raising taxes on everyone, because your money buys less. You have low unemployment, but no buying power.

    Also, this is a myth that the US doesn’t tax the rich. The top 1% in 2007 made 19.4% of all the income, and paid 28% of all federal tax.

    The problem in the modern day isn’t even about taxes. It’s housing and healthcare. Which turn out to be the most overdistorted and overregulated markets. Did you know that physicians face a bunch of restrictions on owning hospitals that Wall Street chuds do not? Government regulation inevitably leads to this sort of thing, where corporations make you vote for their friends who will regulate everything under the guise of protecting you, all while they simply bar entry to everyone but their corporation friends.

  278. @MooTaters

    October 16, 2026 at 7:34 pm

    There’s a reason political comics show the trickle as a stream of sorts landing on the rest of us.

  279. @jamesb6251

    October 16, 2026 at 8:02 pm

    Rayqueeza x.x

  280. @ronnysmobilephone

    October 16, 2026 at 9:14 pm

    If you love a Golden Shower then for aure you will love a Trickle Down Economy.

  281. @ronnysmobilephone

    October 16, 2026 at 9:15 pm

    They told Americans they would get a trickle and they screamed with joy about how awesome their society is

  282. @KhaoticComrade

    October 17, 2026 at 3:46 am

    Sigh

  283. @franciscojeronimo5881

    October 17, 2026 at 6:13 am

    I feel this bogus theory was invented to contra point marxism and had nothing to do with real economy but was instead a philosophical justification to why the money should remain on top.

  284. @justsomeotherguywithamusta6810

    October 17, 2026 at 7:37 am

    Reaganomics

  285. @allisonl6604

    October 17, 2026 at 10:45 am

    Short answer: No, not for anyone watching this

  286. @nicholashurst780

    October 17, 2026 at 12:47 pm

    No. The answer is no.

  287. @jossgoyanko7006

    October 17, 2026 at 2:00 pm

    1980s: Trust me bro, it’s gonna trickle down any second now.

    90s: Any second now.

    2000s: Any second now…

    2010s: Aaaaaaaannnyyyy second now…

    2020s: *gets a pizza party* See, it worked!

  288. @rushtest4echo737

    October 17, 2026 at 2:24 pm

    Despite all the pillaging and plundering that has occurred throughout our economy for the last 40 years, the voting majority of Americans still believe that trickle down economics works. It’s the reason America will never fix itself. There are too many useless rubes that show up and vote Republican reliably for them to get away with literally anything they want. We are blowing far past gilded age levels of wealth inequality and we have angry uneducated rooms who are demanding more tax cuts for the wealthy in order to fix the fact that they as little people don’t have money to live. It’s insane. The entire mindset is so broken and so unfixable because these moronic conservatives have been so fully propagandized that they don’t understand how they continue to destroy their own livelihoods because owning a lib is more important to them than solving real problems.

  289. @markduncan992

    October 17, 2026 at 5:47 pm

    Trickle on economics. Reagan ushered in this nonsense.

  290. @davepTfirst

    October 17, 2026 at 6:54 pm

    The only thing that trickles down is what comes after they zip up.

  291. @Soothar

    October 17, 2026 at 7:33 pm

    The 80’s???? The concept is FAR older than that. Used to be called horse and sparrow until the 80’s rebrand….

  292. @Bilkyhits

    October 17, 2026 at 8:08 pm

    No.

  293. @Riley_RC

    October 17, 2026 at 9:54 pm

    How we tax the rich is the tricky part…

  294. @spritemon98

    October 17, 2026 at 9:54 pm

    It has never worked 😂

  295. @jackmehoff-d6f

    October 18, 2026 at 12:54 am

    hurr durr we need to tax the rich, look at who is paying all the taxes and who is using those services.

    you are just another grifting leftard that is a compete fraud just making it up as you go

    • @FeelMyBirdie

      October 18, 2026 at 1:58 pm

      Let me guess you think billionaires are job creators😂😂

  296. @jayc6175

    October 18, 2026 at 7:56 am

    If there were a fire on the first floor of your house would the fire fighters spray water on the roof hoping it’ll trickle down and put out the fire? That’s the lie of trickle down econ!

  297. @Lonewolf-i8w

    October 18, 2026 at 10:31 am

    Silly rabbits are gonna be *real sad* when their billionaire Heads are rolling around the ground, while their Bodies lie 10 feet away.

  298. @ALA87

    October 18, 2026 at 11:49 am

    We need those tax rates back, these obscene wealthy delusional weirdos are parasites on society now.

  299. @vaishakhkallattil9468

    October 18, 2026 at 12:15 pm

    This is the same guy who said communism is authoritarian states

  300. @amatiste

    October 18, 2026 at 3:24 pm

    Yes! Keynes! Put money into the population, and money starts moving.

  301. @SavageGreywolf

    October 18, 2026 at 7:12 pm

    They didn’t forget, they systematically dismantled it

  302. @SGO_Joshua

    October 18, 2026 at 7:47 pm

    No. The answer is no.

    Also, trickle down deez nuts 🥜

  303. @JimBoulger-x6t

    October 18, 2026 at 9:09 pm

    So we gave up a proper economc theory for an idea someone wrote on the backup of a napkin.

  304. @SomewhatLazy

    October 18, 2026 at 10:46 pm

    NO. Saved you time.

  305. @MzTangeC

    October 18, 2026 at 10:50 pm

    It’s not that they forgot! They never intended for it to go to workers!

  306. @marb3909

    October 19, 2026 at 12:20 am

    Wondering if trickle down economics even works in good faith is like day one politics

  307. @KingStark34

    October 19, 2026 at 2:06 am

    I say yes it can but cut taxes to the rich as well as the middle and lower class. Everyone should be paying zero income taxes. Let us have a flat national sales tax of 4 percent and a flat national gas tax of 4 percent and nations flat road tax of 4 percent you pay out of your check. That’s it. The 4 4 4 plan and make the government live within its means. The government would have no choice but to cut about 80 percent of what’s it spending but that’s okay lol

  308. @Dee-x4n3v

    October 19, 2026 at 3:11 am

    The rich just buy more assets

  309. @TAGER_321

    October 19, 2026 at 4:32 am

    notice that he is just history professor and not and economic history professor.

    one could tell you that trickle down economics isn’t a real thing and that the effective tax rate back then was lower then even now or that every time a country or state has tried to tax the rich it has failed

  310. @Tiffany-Rose

    October 19, 2026 at 5:11 am

    TAX THE RICH!!

  311. @lrb4

    October 19, 2026 at 6:30 am

    Big shock executives tend to be greedy

  312. @bcoldwell1

    October 19, 2026 at 6:41 am

    Overturn citizens united

  313. @gazz3867

    October 19, 2026 at 7:26 am

    In US laws are made with money. Due to election and media mechanics politicians and parties need the money of lobbyists to get into power and lobbyists also get to influence laws in committees.
    Whoever is running the lobbyists has every motivation to keep it that way so a fundamental change would be very hard to do.

  314. @matthewboyd8689

    October 19, 2026 at 9:14 am

    A country with no regulations will always become a monopoly

    This is why strong government oversight and regulations are important

    It’s not that they hurt companies. It’s that they hurt the rich people that want to take advantage of everyone for profit

  315. @emilyholway9892

    October 19, 2026 at 11:51 am

    Tax em

  316. @Der_Saftsack

    October 19, 2026 at 12:20 pm

    never worked

  317. @boobox2000

    October 19, 2026 at 1:46 pm

    Trickle down economics screwed us all. Wages have stagnated ever since.

  318. @guyjim7989

    October 19, 2026 at 3:03 pm

    No

  319. @archanix882

    October 19, 2026 at 4:28 pm

    Trickle down economics was a term made up by those who don’t understand supply side economics as demonstrated by this gentleman’s explanation of it

  320. @GPtwo

    October 19, 2026 at 4:44 pm

    Just like all “economic theories”

    It mostly depends on who’s involved.

  321. @wheelhouse15

    October 19, 2026 at 5:04 pm

    Tax cuts for the rich and corporations followed by deregulation and then legalizing stock buybacks was the perfect storm for massive upwards wealth transfers. Add to that the bailouts every time they screw up the economy and it’s no wonder the top handful of people have more than most countries.

  322. @Broken_Circuitry

    October 19, 2026 at 5:33 pm

    It worked for The Jews

  323. @sethayers1911

    October 19, 2026 at 5:45 pm

    Thank you boomers for originally voting for it and thank you Gen x for doing absolutely nothing to stop it

  324. @greymatter33

    October 19, 2026 at 5:47 pm

    It’s not an idea, it’s a political slogan.

  325. @TKCPrime

    October 19, 2026 at 5:49 pm

    When you give taxcuts to the rich they are like: “Yeah baby! Imonna’ get another yacht this week!”

  326. @camd6102

    October 19, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    Supply side economics based on theories of Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun and amplified by Chicago School (e.g. Milton Friedman) and individuals like Arthur Laffer and Robert Mundell.

  327. @tbarner5991

    October 19, 2026 at 9:48 pm

    Then the wealthy bought the politicians, and now here we are….

  328. @GajendranSudharson

    October 19, 2026 at 9:55 pm

    1920’s low tax rate on the millionairs
    Middle class were suffering, income inequality big

    1950’s-70’s, high tax rate on millionaires and billionairs
    Middle class BOOM!, Income inequality at its smallest

    1980’s, law taxes again thanks to republican reagan
    Middle class started to suffer in the 90’s and income inequality has been growing ever since and the gap is jsut bigger and bigger. Oh and middle class suffered now like it did in the 1920’s

  329. @annalieff-saxby568

    October 20, 2026 at 6:21 am

    NO.

  330. @cieutag55

    October 20, 2026 at 8:22 am

    No, they remember and have bought elections to ensure we stay in the system that is working for them.

  331. @corey4917

    October 20, 2026 at 9:40 am

    Blame Richard Nixon for sprinting over to China in the early 1970s. Back then, they were completely surrounded by the Soviet Union and their economy was totally dead. But instead of letting them rot, he opened up trade between them and Japan just so the US could fast-track technology development. If he hadn’t pulled that absolute bonehead move, we probably wouldn’t have a skull full of microplastics right now, and the Chinese Communist Party would have collapsed into the history books decades ago. But hey, look on the bright side. At least we got flat-screen TVs out of the deal.

  332. @floridaman697

    October 20, 2026 at 10:51 am

    So they didn’t forget, they just been listening to Too Much propaganda

  333. @taronzgaming7739

    October 20, 2026 at 11:22 am

    Something is still trickling down on the heads of workers.

    Sadly that is chorro and not money.

  334. @princessajellybean

    October 20, 2026 at 11:26 am

    Not unless you force the companies to do it once they make a certain amount of profit

  335. @GoogleDBunkers

    October 20, 2026 at 11:57 am

    Giving poor people more money is better for the economy than giving rich people more money.
    If the poorest 1.000.000 ppl got 1.000 dollars, they would spend it all on buying actual stuff, which is what seems to actually be the economy.
    If you give the 1.000 richest ppl, 1.000.000 dollars each, they’d buy more stocks… Which increases what, the public estimation of the value of a company as determined by the law of averages? Or in bribes for your local senator ofcourse, why spend 1 million in taxes if you can bribe someone for 150.000 to save your company millions. Which ofcourse justifies that multi million dollar bonus?

  336. @scottroth4294

    October 20, 2026 at 12:11 pm

    Phew what a long way to say no.

  337. @headhurtouchie

    October 20, 2026 at 1:35 pm

    Billionaire class used to cooperate with the public. Because they had 2 choices.
    Pay employees well, gain their goodwill and make them loyal to you.
    Or have the government take all of that money instead. The tax rate on the ultra rich was over 80% most of the time. The choice was obvious, and it benefitted the public.

    Trickle down economics is based on the naive idea, that rich people take care of their employees because they are benevolent. They are not. In a capitalist system there is no benevolence. Only pragmatism. Which is why the government needs to intervene in the economy.
    In order to give incentives to the rich to BEHAVE

  338. @robertshields4160

    October 20, 2026 at 1:43 pm

    We need to do bubble-up economics.

  339. @SaraQuinn

    October 20, 2026 at 2:50 pm

    And now the rich want to pass 6346 in WA State… 😑

  340. @LargeMcBottoms

    October 20, 2026 at 4:54 pm

    Horse and sparrow

  341. @dolamitic

    October 20, 2026 at 5:03 pm

    Consumers are the job makers

  342. @kingwilliamtheconqueror.

    October 20, 2026 at 6:57 pm

    Keynesian economics is responsible for most of our issues when it’s comes to monetary policy, debt, and spending

  343. @markhouser4495

    October 20, 2026 at 7:43 pm

    Key word “trickle” tells you everything

  344. @SterlingCat03

    October 20, 2026 at 8:07 pm

    There’s no such thing as trickle down economics, no one has yet proven any economist has actually advocated for it.

  345. @alejandroreyes8878

    October 20, 2026 at 8:39 pm

    Short answer, no, it’s magical thinking

    Long answer, no, because (a whole lot of economic and politic complexities)

    Real answer, no, it’s utter nonsense, nothing but pure bs and instead of wasting time we should party like it’s 1793 France with those billionaire wankers

  346. @ArkRedpanda

    October 20, 2026 at 8:44 pm

    When you let rich people have more of their money, they just keep more of their money and only spend money on things like lobbying so they can keep underpaying their workers and keeping even more of their money

  347. @NeighborhoodOfBlue

    October 20, 2026 at 8:55 pm

    Friedman economics has ruined us. Keynes was the way.

  348. @alecchase2537

    October 20, 2026 at 9:08 pm

    It was the idea of the heritage foundation actually, aka the project 2025 people.

  349. @twistedwisdom4277

    October 21, 2026 at 6:25 am

    Just the term trickle-down economics is stupid. If you think of economics more like a sled dog. The weight has to be evenly balanced for it to function effectively. Putting the entire load on the front dog just slows down the whole sled

  350. @shalashaska9946

    October 21, 2026 at 7:34 am

    Yet somehow even the poorest people are wealthy compared to the poorest people 60 years ago. It clearly worked because everyone is watching this dumb guy on a literal futuristic rectangle

  351. @Gormbauer

    October 21, 2026 at 7:51 am

    Im 33, still haven’t had anything trickle down except fascism

  352. @jeff119990

    October 21, 2026 at 8:16 am

    its a lot older than 40 years. it used to be called horse and sparrow. if the horse eats too much oats its gets passed along to the sparrows at the other end. all i know is it sounds like horse manure to me.

  353. @NRGFL0

    October 21, 2026 at 8:28 am

    Corporate profits are stolen wages

  354. @TheDeath138

    October 21, 2026 at 8:42 am

    The policies did the exact opposite of what they were supposed to do.

  355. @Smokin_Choochang

    October 21, 2026 at 9:12 am

    I will always say that Reagan was the beginning of the end for America, both financially and racially (bro absolutely hated black people, and only referred to them as monkeys).

  356. @markmendel9883

    October 21, 2026 at 10:26 am

    This is downright common sense, but they don’t care. The rich will get rich regardless. They don’t care about “the economy”, they just care about amassing even more wealth.

  357. @Smatt-86

    October 21, 2026 at 10:50 am

    A big problem is socialism has been lumped in with communism and they aren’t the same thing.

  358. @sammcneillmckinnell5003

    October 21, 2026 at 11:14 am

    Pickle down Rickonomics

  359. @wblakegingerich

    October 21, 2026 at 12:24 pm

    Why is it that Republicans don’t understand this? Are they just allergic to statistics and facts? They do seem to fall for all the propaganda.

  360. @TrickyNick69

    October 21, 2026 at 12:47 pm

    Thank you Ronald Reagan

  361. @JeremyRoe-k7s

    October 21, 2026 at 1:48 pm

    And why do you think they stopped? People were becoming more free

  362. @Phi1618033

    October 21, 2026 at 2:55 pm

    The only reason America still even has an economy is bthat we’ve borrowed $40 trillian to keep it going.

  363. @JackB1980

    October 21, 2026 at 2:56 pm

    Capitalism is supposed to be about keeping money in the system so it can benefit companies, products, workers, & consumers. When it gets 97% confiscated and ciphoned off to owners, it’s nothing more than a cancer on society.

  364. @ReturntoPositiveLives

    October 21, 2026 at 3:08 pm

    NO–

  365. @actionjaxon517

    October 21, 2026 at 3:54 pm

    Reagan-nomics

  366. @erikh7557

    October 21, 2026 at 4:05 pm

    Trickle down is right! Never mind the upward gush.

  367. @asheronthedruid

    October 21, 2026 at 5:06 pm

    No. Call it what it is. Horse and Sparrow economics, complete with the description that the Sparrows (workers) are only intended to the scraps of the horses (the wealthy.)

    It’s top heavy by design.

  368. @Medbud222

    October 21, 2026 at 5:28 pm

    I would disagree 🤷 Keynesian economics “supply creates it own demand” is still being used, and it sort of helped during the great depression but was it really the only way 🤔 Way to much government control 😉

  369. @dclomg5

    October 21, 2026 at 5:42 pm

    Voodoo Economics

  370. @dclomg5

    October 21, 2026 at 5:45 pm

    It’s common sense. Give the rich more money, the demand stays the same for goods. There is no need to increase the supply, so the rich pocket the money. Give the money to the population, demand for goods increase, production of goods increase, jobs created, more tax dollars for government.

  371. @alyssahoeltke

    October 21, 2026 at 5:49 pm

    I just saw an old interview of Bezos saying it makes no sense to tax the bottom 99%. He said even now, the top 1% pay most of the tax anyway. So he said something like the lowest 50% should pay zero income tax. They’ll have more money to then put back into the economy.

  372. @Vi-ok8of

    October 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm

    WHY DID WE WANT JUST A TRICKLE IN THE FIRST PLACE????!!!!!!!!!!!!

  373. @BadHoneyBadger

    October 21, 2026 at 8:46 pm

    Reagan ruined this country in more ways than 1

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