Last week, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced that she is in favor of injustice and introduced the Pandemic Crisis Excess Profits Tax. In a press release, she said that the tax would be
a limited-time tax on the excess profits of large corporations who profited beyond their average profits over the past several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to direct the funds collected to support small businesses.
Gabbard claims that big tech and big box stores—she specifically mentions Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Wal-Mart—have profited at the expense of mom-and-pop businesses. She evades the fact that it has been government officials like her, not big tech or big box stores, who have shut down mom-and-pop stores.
More importantly, such a tax would be a gross injustice. Big tech and big box stores have allowed us to continue to live, work, and communicate despite government’s attempts to make that extremely difficult. Without Amazon and Wal-Mart, many would have struggled to obtain life’s necessities. Without Zoom and similar platforms, many would have been unable to work. Without Zoom and Facebook, many would have been unable to communicate with distant friends and relatives.
These companies made “excessive profits” by providing the values that we want and need. These companies made “excessive profits” because government prohibited mom-and-pop businesses from providing those values. Instead of taxing these companies, Gabbard should be applauding them.
In her press release, Gabbard stated:
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and have borne the brunt of this crisis. We need to support our small businesses and make sure that they are able to thrive and compete.
If she truly believed this, then she would demand freedom for mom-and pop businesses (and all businesses). She would demand an end to the lock downs and restrictions that have prevented small businesses from thriving and competing. She won’t do that, because, while she is opposed to big tech and big box stores, she isn’t opposed to big government.