An Inconvenient Tax

Vintage clips from monster movies abound in this lively exposé on the mutated monstrosity of paperwork and rules and exceptions of the federal income tax code. Ostensibly imposed to cover U.S. government expenses in national emergencies such as war, the American tax system became an entrenched part of civilian life and is now a mass of special-interest exemptions (in place chiefly due to lobbyists) and questionable formulas intended to foster economic growth. In a narrative that eschews left-versus-right grandstanding (even with Noam Chomsky, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, and Mike Huckabee among those commenting), Ronald Reagan is hailed for making tax reform a key political issue; but compromises and complications (including Reagan's legacy of deficit spending and bigger government), along with deductions cynically peddled to voter blocs (the child credit, for example) would ultimately thwart any attempt at simplifying the labyrinthine system (such as interviewee Steve Forbes' famous flat-tax proposal). Filmmaker Christopher P. Marshall eventually notes that other countries have taxes much higher than in the U.S. in order to support free healthcare, welfare, and other social services that philosophically split Americans. Offering an informative look at a frustrating issue, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)