Taxes have a long history in this country, shifting further after the introduction of income taxes. Join me in this episode as we hash through the history of federal income taxes, their uses, and their effects in the country. Low taxes and little to no federal protections caused chaos and mayhem for the working classes across the country during the Industrial Revolution and "Gilded" Age, following the Civil War and Reconstruction periods. All culminating as the country shifted toward the Progressive Eras and Great Depression/Prohibition Era. Taxing the rich corporations and “industry leaders” is not a new notion and resulted in many of the few benefits working America’s have access to in this country.

America's "Working Poor"

Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs (2020) | GAO

Walmart’s Food Stamp Scam Explained in One Easy Chart | Jobs with Justice

Walmart and McDonald’s are among top employers of Medicaid and food stamp beneficiaries, report says | NBC

Walmart, McDonald's among largest employers of SNAP, Medicaid recipients: Report | Fox Business

Walmart

Check out Nancy Walton Laurie's $300 million superyacht that features a helipad, swimming pool, and aquarium | Business Insider

Boat of the Week: Inside ‘Secret,’ the Lavish 271-Foot Superyacht Owned by Walmart Heiress Nancy Walton Laurie | Robb Report

How Walmart is Dodging Billions in Taxes | Americans for Tax Fairness

Gilded Age

How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Led to US Food Safety Reforms | History.com

Great Depression

New Deal | History.com

Why Social Security Was the Cornerstone of FDR’s New Deal | History.com

Social Security Act | History.com

The power of language, the framing and centering of beliefs and "identities" matter because of their impact on the rhetoric and discourse that influence and construct our society and culture. Join me as I dive into key reminders when going into this Tuesday's election surrounding the structuring of our state and federal governments, the importance of civic engagement for the democratic process and the weight of propaganda and misinformation. A disengaged and disempowered proletariat only serves the few.

Over 2 years ago, Roe V. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court which opened the door for multiple states to pass abortion bans and continue to test the waters on the extent in which their governments can interfere in the privacy of women's reproductive rights and healthcare. More stories flood the media surrounding women turned away from hospitals and denied treatment, dying or almost dying in the process. What does this all mean? How have we gotten here with the steadily growing concern on preventable pregnant persons' deaths in America?

Resources/Recommendations/References:

Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother's Death Was Preventable | ProPublica

Rest In Power: A Running List of the Preventable Deaths Caused by Abortion Bans | Ms. Magazine

Infants dying, women at risk: Medical literature describes wide-ranging consequences of Dobbs

Life Of The Mother | ProPublica

Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, are turned away from ERs despite federal law | AP News

Doctors Warned Her Pregnancy Could Kill Her. Then Tennessee Outlawed Abortion | ProPublica

In Oklahoma, a woman was told to wait until she's 'crashing' for abortion care | NPR

Pregnancy-related deaths are on the rise…and sepsis is a big reason | NIH

Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Them | KFF