The Trickle-Down Scam: How Billionaires Convince You to Fight for Their Wealth
They say tax cuts and deregulation will help you. History says otherwise. Why do so many people keep falling for it?
Every election cycle, the same old talking points get repackaged and resold to the public. Government is too big. Taxes are too high. Regulations are strangling businesses. If we just “unshackle” the economy, everyone will prosper. It’s a familiar tune—one that sounds great in theory but falls apart under even the slightest scrutiny.
A perfect example of this thinking comes from a recent comment by Travis, who argued:
“I'm not rooting for illegal actions; I support leaders who aim to streamline government, reduce bureaucratic waste, and return power to the people. DOGE's efforts to expose wasteful spending in USAID aren't about transferring wealth to the oligarchy; they're about ensuring taxpayer money isn't squandered on frivolous projects like diversity musicals in Ireland or comic books in Peru. Trump's policies aimed at cutting red tape and lowering taxes actually empower the working class by fostering job creation and economic growth. It's not about making the rich richer; it's about making everyone richer by unshackling the economy from government overreach. The real question is, why do you favor a bloated government that seems more interested in funding globalist agendas than supporting American workers?”
On the surface, it sounds reasonable: Who wouldn’t want to cut wasteful spending? Who wouldn’t want an economy that makes “everyone richer”? But peel back the layers, and you’ll see that this argument is built on myths, misdirection, and a fundamental misunderstanding of how power and wealth actually work in America.
Myth #1: The Government Is Just Burning Your Money on Pointless Projects
Conservatives love to trot out a few cherry-picked examples of “wasteful spending” to argue that the government is just setting taxpayer money on fire. In this case, Travis points to “diversity musicals in Ireland” and “comic books in Peru” as anecdotes that USAID is a useless money pit.
Here’s the problem: This framing is deliberately misleading.
Foreign aid, for example, is a tiny fraction of the federal budget (around 1%) and often serves strategic U.S. interests. Programs like USAID aren’t just about feel-good diplomacy; they help stabilize regions, reduce migration pressures, and prevent crises that could cost the U.S. far more in the long run.
But instead of discussing the real purpose of these programs, critics focus on emotionally charged, out-of-context examples to make it seem like the government is throwing your hard-earned money into a shredder. It’s a bait-and-switch designed to make you resent “government spending” while ignoring the fact that corporate subsidies, tax loopholes, and military contracts burn through far more taxpayer dollars.
Myth #2: Cutting Taxes and Deregulating Business Will “Unshackle” the Economy
Travis claims that slashing regulations and lowering taxes will “empower the working class” by boosting job creation and economic growth. This is just the latest version of trickle-down economics—the idea that if we just make life easier for the wealthy, prosperity will magically reach everyone else.
It’s a nice theory. It’s also been debunked over and over again.
When corporations and the ultra-rich get tax breaks, they don’t take their savings and shower workers with raises. They hoard wealth, buy back stocks, and stash money in offshore accounts. After the 2017 Trump tax cuts, corporate stock buybacks hit record highs, while wages barely budged. The only people who got significantly richer were the ones who were already rich.
And deregulation? That just means fewer worker protections, more pollution, and a corporate free-for-all. It’s great if you’re a billionaire who wants to cut corners and maximize profits. It’s not so great if you’re an average worker who gets stuck with stagnant wages, fewer benefits, and rising healthcare costs.
Myth #3: The Real Problem Is “Globalist Agendas”
Travis ends his argument with the classic “why do you support a bloated government funding globalist agendas instead of helping American workers?” This is a common populist dog whistle—the idea that there’s some shadowy, unpatriotic elite using your tax dollars to prop up foreign interests while hardworking Americans suffer.
It’s a convenient narrative, but it’s also nonsense.
The truth is, the biggest threat to American workers isn’t some nebulous “globalist agenda.” It’s the very policies people like Travis support. It’s corporate tax cuts that incentivize offshoring jobs. It’s union-busting efforts that weaken workers’ ability to negotiate for better pay. It’s deregulation that lets businesses squeeze every last penny out of their employees while funneling profits to executives and shareholders.
The irony is that the same people railing against “globalist elites” are often the ones defending the ultra-wealthy Americans who rig the system for themselves.
So, Who Actually Wins?
Travis’s argument is a masterclass in misdirection. It frames economic issues as a battle between “big government” and “the people,” when the real battle is between the ultra-rich and everyone else.
Cutting regulations doesn’t give power to “the people.” It gives power to corporations to exploit workers with fewer consequences.
Slashing taxes doesn’t create shared prosperity. It widens the wealth gap and forces cuts to public services that working Americans rely on.
Reducing “wasteful spending” doesn’t make America stronger. It weakens public investment while letting billionaires keep more of their fortunes.
If we actually care about empowering workers, we should be strengthening unions, investing in education, expanding healthcare access, and making sure corporations pay their fair share—not gutting the very systems designed to create economic stability.
The real question isn’t why some of us support a “bloated government.” The real question is: Why do so many working-class Americans keep defending the very policies that keep them struggling?
This is the real fight. And as long as people keep falling for the same old trickle-down lies, the billionaires will keep laughing all the way to the bank.
Bro I’m loving your posts
Trickle down economics is not supply side economics. JFK was the first supply side President. The supply side theory was proven true by JFK’s policies. He believed that we can grow the economy without causing inflation by giving incentives that motivate investment into more productive capacity( capital investment) thus increasing supply and keeping a lid on inflation. JFK used investment tax credits to spur investment into capital equipment used here in the USA. Trump’s plan is a wealth hoarding plan. You can call it trickle down, but there is no incentive to invest in more productive capacity and innovate like there is with JFK’s investment tax credits. Trump Just lowers taxes for high earners and leaves it up to them how to use. As we saw last time Trump was President, the extra cash was used to consolidate ownership and hoard wealth. Biden’s ITCs for renewables were a form of supply side economics and it worked to increase the supply of electricity.