Americans Are Not Complicit in US Wars Through Tax Payment
Source: Clark Randall. "We Aren’t All Complicit in US Warmongering." March 24, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that regular Americans aren't responsible for US wars just because they pay taxes. The government can spend money without waiting for tax revenue, and most Americans contribute very little in taxes anyway. Blaming ordinary people is both factually wrong and politically unhelpful.
Conclusion
American taxpayers are not complicit in US military actions like the war in Iran simply because their tax dollars theoretically fund these operations
Premises
- The federal government does not need to collect taxes before it can spend money - it spends first, then taxes to control inflation and redistribute wealth
- The bottom half of income earners contribute only 2-4% of federal income tax receipts, while the top 2-3% pay over 50%
- More than a quarter of Americans qualify for earned income tax credits, meaning their net tax contribution is negative
- Bond markets and wealthy investors, not ordinary taxpayers, have the real financial leverage over government spending decisions
- The complicity narrative is psychologically counterproductive and doesn't effectively motivate antiwar activism
- Many Americans, including immigrants from countries being bombed, cannot meaningfully be called 'complicit' in wars they oppose
Assumptions
- Modern Monetary Theory insights about government spending are partially correct, even if MMT as a whole failed
- Effective political resistance requires accurate understanding of how government finance actually works
- Moral complicity requires some form of support, conspiracy, or meaningful contribution to the harmful action
- Political messaging should be strategically effective rather than just morally expressive