Context: French taxes are 43.5% of GDP in 2024, the second highest among OECD countries. <https://taxpolicycenter.org/statistics/oecd-taxes-share-gdp> US is 25.6%; Germany is 38%; Britain is 34.4%.
Also, I don't know if that is true in this case, but these numbers will often omit state taxes for the US and only like at federal taxes. Ie they leave the US looking better than it is.
https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/exp@FPP/USA/FRA/JPN/...
The IMF puts the US at 37.92%, but France at 57.17%.
If you graph these values over the 20th century you should become quite worried. It turns out that a lot of our "good times" coincide with a slow but perpetual increase in this number. But this number will have to stop increasing at some point and we're reaching that point.
From the article:
>Total tax revenues (federal, state, and local) as a percentage of GDP for OECD countries.
>If you graph these values over the 20th century you should become quite worried.
I agree that US debt is a real issue. But:
* The data indicates that, if necessary, the US has a (lot) more room to raise taxes.
* US GDP grew by 3.4% <https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/29/business/economy/us-econo...> in 3Q2026, beating estimates. French GDP shrank by 0.1% <https://www.france24.com/en/business/20261030-french-economy...> in 3Q2026, worse than estimates.
* Put another way, it is possible to grow out of debt. The US is the only member of the $40 trillion debt club, but is also the only member of the $32 trillion GDP club. Scott Bessent has been talking since before being named Treasury Secretary about 3/3/3. <https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/treasury-secretary-nomi...>
* Put yet another way, if you are so worried about the US, you should be sounding a five-alarm bell for France and Italy, and three alarms for most of the rest of the developed world.
I'm not talking about debt.
I'm talking about the 20th century being one of constant progress. Life got better and better, which created a feeling of progress and hope. However, this progress happened while we were constantly increasing the share of taxes. Eventually we will reach a point where we simply cannot increase taxes anymore. Will it be possible to have the kind of hope and progress we had over the past century even if our taxes can't keep going up and up? Or will we devolve into trying to "nickel & dime" everything through politics?
And yes, my commentary is about the world, because we are all heading in the same direction on this. This isn't something you can grow an economy out of.
If you live in a country where you pay $400 in taxes but all healthcare is paid for by the government, you are better off than someone living in a country where they have to pay only $300 in taxes - but an additional $200 for private health insurance just to cover what you get for "free".