Robert Reich is counting on the ignorance of lefty strangers in order to make his grossly intellectually dishonest case against Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Sunday said that he will pay more than $11 billion in taxes this year, a statement that follows the billionaire’s earlier claim that he will pay more taxes than “any American in history” this year. pic.twitter.com/wUqS2hbxvs

— Forbes (@Forbes) December 21, 2021

For context, $11 billion is 3x less than what Musk made in one day in October. https://t.co/R22dzUprnP

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) December 21, 2021

Btw, between 2014-2018, Elon Musk's wealth grew by $13.9 billion, yet he paid just $455 million in federal income taxes, a rate of only 3.27%.

The average effective tax rate for Americans in 2018 was 13.3%.

How does it feel to pay a higher tax rate than a centibillionaire?

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) December 22, 2021

How does it feel to be completely full of it? How does it feel to know that your entire reason for existence boils down to being envious that there are people out there who have more money than you do?

Because that’s basically Reich’s problem. Dude may not be Elon Musk, but he still has a lot more money than most Americans do. He makes more money for giving one angry little speech than a lot of people make in an entire year.

But as long as someone out there continues to have more money than he does, he’ll continue to inveigh against wealth. Even if it means he has to keep lying to people.

This dude is an economist https://t.co/fMZTO9iOGq

— ShadowandSelf (@ShadowandSelf) December 23, 2021

Have you done any work in the real business world? Or are you just a leftist hack by trade? https://t.co/3y9iR5fBOj

— CLB (@tigermkv) December 23, 2021

The guy was U.S. Secretary of Labor for a while. Terrifying, isn’t it?

It’s based on income you socialist gnome https://t.co/75ZXtbJxw6

— E (@Ericb1980) December 23, 2021

Wealth is not income, you doorknob. https://t.co/jFOrvf4egO

— Nuclear Ironman 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏅 (@NuclearHerbs) December 23, 2021

Didn't realize there was a wealth tax? BTW what does increasing wealth have to do with income tax?
If I make something that is very valuable,(my wealth increases) I don't have to pay any tax on it unless I sell it.
Reich is a complete idiot and tool of the left!!! https://t.co/5817yTGHIq

— Wayne G (@WayneGeier) December 23, 2021

Apparently this moron isn’t familiar with the term “unrealized gain”.

This guy is a prominent university professor. And yet he doesn’t understand the most basic economic and accounting principles. https://t.co/hAyZh6aHwc

— Dave (@heyyoudvd) December 23, 2021

We suppose that it’s technically possible that Reich doesn’t understand that stuff. But a far more likely explanation is that he understands it perfectly well and is relying on the gullibility of strangers who, like him, believe they’re entitled to something they haven’t earned.

Tell me you are either ignorant or purposefully misleading without telling me you are ignorant or purposefully misleading: https://t.co/dtcpXV0QRC

— BigAngryMoose (@BigAngryMoose) December 23, 2021

We’re going to have to go with “purposely misleading.”

reich knows he is fos

he is just relying on the people following him to not know this https://t.co/fsfnbQNf4Q

— Matt (@AngryFoodie2015) December 22, 2021

Well actually, “wealth” and “income” are not synonymous, as Robert Reich well knows, even if his followers don’t. pic.twitter.com/sISVtCR4PG

— In The Bleak Dawg Winter (@PresidentDawg) December 23, 2021

Robert’s hoping his followers don’t know a lot of things. Like basic economic principles. Like that he has more wealth than many people will see in a lifetime.

Because Robert Reich is not an honest or good person.

Wealth is not income.
Changing terms and definitions is what progressive do when they talk policy. It’s dishonest. https://t.co/442ZphORwV

— Kevin Pętërśøñ (@KevinPinball) December 23, 2021

It would be nice to have a substantive discussion about all this that didn’t involve intentionally confusing two concepts for the purpose of assigning malice to a person. https://t.co/ayxeSUhpYU

— Caleb O. Brown (@cobrown) December 23, 2021

Please define “wealth”, when it is realized, and how and when it is taxable…… Comrade Reich

You are not this obtuse, and thus can only be making these statements to fire up those who are. https://t.co/tJxJRUrr5C

— Santino (@Santino_1964) December 23, 2021

You’d think that by now, people would’ve gotten sick and tired of being lied to and having their ignorance and insecurity preyed upon. But it seems that Reich has calculated correctly that he will always have an audience for his toxic politics of envy.

It will never be enough for the left https://t.co/GOe0FIRzBa

— Almost_Esquire_FF (@Esquire_FF) December 23, 2021

It will never be enough for Robert Reich, either.

You’re such a disingenuous ass. Piss off. https://t.co/955Lu33gMX

— JimmEEE (@EEElverhoy) December 22, 2021

We wish he would. As a good little socialist, Reich certainly has plenty of options when it comes to paradises to flee to. He has no obligation to stay in the United States. Let him try his luck in Venezuela or something. We’ll even help him pack!