The article and comments reveal the trap that we are in. Donald Trump's tax reform was specifically targeted to reward his supporters and punish liberals in blue states. The key was always to look at which provisions were temporary, and which were permanent. Capping state and local property tax deductions at $10,000 caused a significant tax increase for middle class families in higher tax states. Redirecting the tax cuts to the wealthy and red states was a form of wealth redistribution through taxation.

We have always had a miniature version of this debate for years in Massachusetts. Many well-off suburbanites as happy to pay higher property taxes to improve the quality of schools in their communities and raise their property values as a result. Yet these affluent residents balk at higher state taxes that would be primarily directed toward poorer and more racially diverse cities.

Ironically, Bernie Sanders has showed us the way towards reform by raising so much money from small donors including massive numbers of teachers who already work in a partially socialized educational system. Campaign finance reform, voting rights acts, and other reforms to our national government are necessary to head us in a better direction.

Tucker Carlson's critique of economic inequality may be accurate, but his proposed solutions only aggravate the problem. Furthermore, his defense of Trump's racist statements and bullying tactics have done far more to heighten our dysfunction than solve it. It is fine to advocate for struggling white working-class families, but solutions which rely on scapegoating other Americans or damage the security of the nation and the world can never be the solution.