Do you ever feel like the odds are stacked against you? Well, you’re not alone. There are – in fact – laws and regulations that appear tailored specifically to the elite. From tax loopholes to corporate protections, these are the kind of laws that leave the rest of us wondering why life feels so unfair. Let’s look closer at some of the worst ones.
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Tax Loopholes for Corporations
Big corporations & billionaires have entire departments of accountants in search of legal loopholes for evading taxation. Things like offshore accounts & expense claims on private jets or corporate vacation homes allow them to keep more of their millions. Meanwhile – the average employee loses a portion of their paycheck each month for taxes.
Bailouts for Big Banks
Remember the 2008 financial crisis? The banks and financial institutions that set it all in motion were rescued with taxpayer bailouts worth billions of dollars. They were quickly protected by laws — but ordinary citizens lost their homes, savings & income. It’s like if your neighbor wrecks their car – you’re forced to pay for their new one & you’re stuck riding a bike.
The “Carried Interest” Tax Break
Hedge fund managers—who already make obscene amounts of money—get to pay lower taxes because of a loophole that treats their earnings as “capital gains” instead of regular income. So while you’re paying 20-30% in taxes, they’re paying closer to 15%. Why? Because they lobbied to keep it that way.
Citizens United Ruling
This Supreme Court ruling basically said that companies and billionaires can spend as much as they want on election campaigns. That’s why elections now feel like auctions – where whoever pays the most gets elected. If you ever feel that your voice doesn’t matter in politics, this is one of the reasons why.
Zoning Laws That Protect Wealthy Neighborhoods
Ever notice how expensive neighborhoods never seem to have affordable housing or apartment complexes? Zoning laws are designed to keep those areas “exclusive.” Wealthy homeowners argue it’s to “preserve the community” — but it really just keeps lower-income families out and property values sky-high. It’s gatekeeping – plain and simple.
Bankruptcy Laws Favoring Corporations
It’s a personal disaster when someone goes bankrupt. You lose your credit, your assets, maybe even your home. But when a corporation files? It’s a strategy. They sell, they liquidate & they continue on as if nothing ever happened. Some even employ it to evade pension or benefit payments. That’s a license for the rich to duck responsibility.
The “Step-Up in Basis” Tax Rule
When people pass down property or investments to their kids after death, those kids don’t have to pay taxes on the gains. For example, if a billionaire’s mansion increases in value over decades — the heir doesn’t pay taxes on increase in value over the fair market value. This law favors the rich whose properties usually have a lot more equity & gains that heirs don’t pay tax on.
The Estate Tax Exemption
This one is made to look like it’s for small-scale farming and family farms, but it’s really for the super-rich. By raising the exemption amount for estate tax, billionaires can transfer wealth without the government getting a check. Average Americans don’t even have enough of an estate to qualify — but the law is sold like it’s helping everyone.
Corporate Personhood
This legal concept treats corporations as if they’re people – giving them rights like free speech and the ability to sue. But unlike real people, corporations don’t go to jail, don’t have feelings & can’t face real consequences. It’s a shield for the wealthy to avoid accountability while reaping all the benefits.
Patent Laws That Protect Big Pharma
Drug companies maintain high prices by tweaking formulas just enough to renew patents. It means that generic (and cheap) drugs that save lives get delayed or even blocked. So they make billions of dollars — everyone who needs insulin or other medications must choose between medicine and rent.
Anti-Union Laws
“Right-to-work” laws sound nice on the surface, but they’re designed to weaken unions. Without strong unions, workers can’t fight for fair wages, benefits or working conditions. These laws keep the balance of power tilted toward wealthy business owners, leaving employees to fend for themselves.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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