We worry about growing inequality and the dwindling middle class, and advocate various policies to reverse these trends. And yet at the same time, we talk about reducing or eliminating the tax deduction that does the most to promote a more equal distribution of economic well-being.
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Bucket-wheel excavators mine rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on February 25, 2025, in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov via Getty Images)