Authored by Ken Buck via The Epoch Times,
A recent headline from a well-respected news outlet caught my attention: "Could socialism make America happy again?"
Surely, the article must be satirical, I thought. Who in their right mind would believe that the most oppressive form of government, responsible for hundreds of millions of deaths, horrific living conditions, and the elimination of personal freedoms, would make anyone "happier"?
It wasn't a joke. Nor are the slew of articles these days proclaiming that "Socialism's moment is here" and similar findings that show socialism's popularity is quickly climbing, especially among young people.
America has a socialism problem - or a socialism perception problem. A great swath of our country has bought into the lie that socialism can somehow provide a better quality of life, and it owes largely to progressives' success transforming our education system into an indoctrination machine.
It's no secret that higher education has long been a bastion of liberalism. In one recent poll, half of college professors at four-year schools self-identified as liberal, compared to only a quarter who identified as conservative. Conservative faculty were considerably more likely to hide their political affiliations for fear of being fired or retaliated against.
Likewise, a survey in 2020 found that nearly 40 percent of conservative college students did not feel comfortable expressing their political views because they worried their peers might file a complaint against them.
One might think that our country's institutions of learnings would actively seek to educate young people about the dangers of socialism. There are, after all, numerous examples from recent history. Instead, they preach the evils of free-market competition, which has made the United States a global beacon of hope and freedom for over 250 years.
An annual study this year found that nearly 40 percent of students said that their college classes and activities negatively affected their views of capitalism, compared to less than 10 percent who said their experience improved it. That shouldn't be a surprise. The same report two years earlier found that faculty were "more often positive toward socialism and negative toward capitalism."
Today, 46 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 have a favorable opinion of socialism - more than twice as many compared to those who had a negative opinion of it.
Sadly, the left's indoctrination program now starts well before college. Students are steeped in the immorality of capitalism and the romanticization of socialism beginning as early as primary grades.
In 2016, a now-often-cited survey found that one-third of millennial and Gen Z students believed more people were killed under former President George W. Bush than by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Almost one in five students did not know who Stalin was.
U.S. civics education hardly seems to be trending in a better direction. A poll by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in 2019 found more than seven in 10 Gen Z students and over six in 10 Millennials said they did not learn about communist regimes throughout their K-12 careers.
In 2022, our country's National Assessment of Educational Progress scores in U.S. History, which measure students' knowledge of the subject "in the context of democracy, culture, technological and economic changes," fell five points from 2018, and 14 points below 2014 averages.
In 1997, following the publication of "The Black Book of Communism" - which estimated that nearly 100 million people died under communist and socialist regimes in the 20th century alone - the late historian and political commentator Tony Judt, himself a staunch liberal, wrote in The New York Times:
"No one will any longer be able to claim ignorance or uncertainty about the criminal nature of communism, and those who had begun to forget will be forced to remember anew."
But Americans, particularly young people, have forgotten. Or, more appropriately, they have been presented a whitewashed, untrue depiction of socialism that omits the ugly realities and fabricates false comforts. Not surprisingly, they have largely accepted this blissful but ultimately make-believe narrative.
That doesn't change the truth: Socialism as a system of government has never worked, and it will never work.
It's time to flip the script in our schools and start teaching our children the truth.
Tyler Durden Sat, 09/26/2026 - 23:20Where you live can make a major difference in the state income tax rate applied to your earnings, with systems ranging from no individual income tax to top marginal rates above 10%.
This map, via Visual Capitalist's Gabriel Cohen, compares U.S. states based on their top marginal individual income tax rate in 2026 using Tax Foundation data. Both local and federal income tax rates are excluded.
Which States Have No Individual Income Tax?Eight states levy no individual income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
New Hampshire is a relatively recent addition to the list, having repealed its tax on interest and dividends in 2025.
The table below lists all U.S. states and Washington, D.C., alongside their top marginal income tax rate and tax system.
State Top marginal tax rate in 2026 (%) Income Tax System Alabama 5 Graduated-Rate Alaska 0 None Arizona 2.5 Flat Arkansas 3.9 Graduated-Rate California 13.3 Graduated-Rate Colorado 4.4 Flat Connecticut 6.99 Graduated-Rate Delaware 6.6 Graduated-Rate Florida 0 None Georgia 5.19 Flat Hawaii 11 Graduated-Rate Idaho 5.3 Flat Illinois 4.95 Flat Indiana 2.95 Flat Iowa 3.8 Graduated-Rate Kansas 5.58 Graduated-Rate Kentucky 3.5 Flat Louisiana 3 Flat Maine 7.15 Graduated-Rate Maryland 6.5 Graduated-Rate Massachusetts 9 Graduated-Rate Michigan 4.25 Flat Minnesota 9.85 Graduated-Rate Mississippi 4 Flat Missouri 4.7 Graduated-Rate Montana 5.65 Graduated-Rate Nebraska 4.55 Graduated-Rate Nevada 0 None New Hampshire 0 None New Jersey 10.75 Graduated-Rate New Mexico 5.9 Graduated-Rate New York 10.9 Graduated-Rate North Carolina 3.99 Flat North Dakota 2.5 Graduated-Rate Ohio 2.75 Flat Oklahoma 4.5 Graduated-Rate Oregon 9.9 Graduated-Rate Pennsylvania 3.07 Flat Rhode Island 5.99 Graduated-Rate South Carolina 6 Graduated-Rate South Dakota 0 None Tennessee 0 None Texas 0 None Utah 4.5 Flat Vermont 8.75 Graduated-Rate Virginia 5.75 Graduated-Rate Washington* 9 Graduated-Rate West Virginia 4.82 Graduated-Rate Wisconsin 7.65 Graduated-Rate Wyoming 0 None D.C. 10.75 Graduated-Rate*Washington rate only applies to capital gains income above $278k.
Having no individual income tax does not mean residents avoid taxes altogether. Each of these eight states levies other taxes to raise government revenue.
Texas, for example, has some of the highest property tax rates in the country, while Tennessee’s high combined state and local sales tax shifts more of the tax burden toward consumer spending.
Some states also benefit from revenue generated by specific industries. Nevada collects substantial gaming taxes, while Alaska taxes oil and gas companies operating in the state.
How Flat Income Taxes WorkAnother 15 states use a flat individual income tax, applying a single statutory rate to taxable income rather than progressively higher rates as income rises.
States with flat income taxes include major Midwestern economies such as Illinois (4.95%) and Michigan (4.25%), as well as Mountain West states including Colorado (4.4%) and Utah (4.5%). Idaho’s 5.3% rate is the highest flat individual income tax rate in the country.
Individual tax bills can still vary based on deductions, exemptions, credits, and other state-specific rules. Efforts to replace flat taxes with graduated systems have also failed in some states. In Illinois, for example, voters rejected a 2020 proposal to allow a graduated income tax.
Where Top Marginal Tax Rates Are HighestMost states instead use graduated income tax systems, in which higher portions of taxable income are subject to higher rates, similar to the federal tax system. Washington, D.C., also uses a graduated system, with a top marginal rate of 10.75%.
California, the largest state economy in the country, has the highest top marginal rate at 13.3%. This rate applies only to taxable income above $1 million for single filers. California is followed by Hawaii at 11% and New York at 10.9%, which also rank among the states with the highest overall tax burdens nationwide.
Top marginal rates do not tell the whole story. The income threshold at which each rate takes effect can significantly affect how much tax a person ultimately owes. In Virginia, for example, the state’s top rate of 5.75% begins above just $17,000 in taxable income, while California’s 13.3% top rate applies above $1 million for single filers.
To compare personal income tax rates around the world, check out Global Personal Income Tax Rates on Voronoi.
Tyler Durden Sat, 09/26/2026 - 22:45