Billionaires • Ciggie Index • The Odyssey

Hello hello. How we doing? Day by day right? We’re off to the beach so Susannah can catch a few waves before the work day.

Your recs for today:

1/ “…19 households – own the equivalent of 14 percent of US national income in wealth.” 😱 A quick breakdown of why Billionaires in America pay less in taxes than the rest of us.

If one takes a comprehensive view of taxation in the United States, here’s the picture that emerges: All social groups pay broadly the same effective tax rate today—around 25 percent to 30 percent of income, including all taxes—with billionaires having the lowest tax rate: 24 percent on average in 2018–20.

2/ If you ever want to really understand the air quality around you, check out the ciggie index.

3/ The most iconic review of The Odyssey comes from the one and only Emily Wilson.

Nolan’s Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great. It has nothing convincing to say about time, memory, history, war, or about the relationship between one warrior’s glorious return and the lives of his family, adversaries, comrades, friends and neighbours. It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.

Have a great Thursday.