Robin Hood Was British

John McCain is pouncing on Barack Obama's call for shifting more wealth from richer Americans to poorer ones, likening it to socialism. His remarks win applause at campaign events. But they ignore the nation's long tradition of redistributing huge amounts of wealth through tax-and-spending policies. . . .

. . . the gap between rich and poor Americans has grown markedly in recent years as middle-class wages remained largely stagnant while corporate profits and high-earners' salaries soared. The nation's income inequality now ranks among the world's largest, reports show. The richest 10 percent earn an average of $93,000 a year; the poorest 10 percent make $5,800 on average.

Various economic and regulatory factors have fed that gap. But tax policies play a role, too, because some major revenue sources are far less favorable to low-income people than the income tax is. . . .

. . . That means low-income workers' payroll taxes are partly shifted to wealthier people, a reverse of the income tax's topdown construct.

Federal excise taxes on products including gasoline and cigarettes are more regressive still, as are sales taxes levied by many states. . . .

Spreading the wealth? US already does it