Until World War II, the income tax was levied only on the rich. But wartime spending meant the government needed money, and ordinary folks are now asked to pay.
“There was a lot of concern that Americans just wouldn’t do it,” Joe Thorndike, co-author of the book War and Taxes, says. “Or that they wouldn’t understand that they were supposed to … or even just how to do it.”
The government needed to get the word out. It needed a spokesperson. Someone credible, and easy to understand.
The government needed Donald Duck.
The movie at the top of this post is from 1943. In it, Donald Duck marches around his house, listening to the radio and filling out his tax form. Occupation: actor. Dependents: three (Huey, Dewey and Louie).
I’ve never seen the original. Its interesting propaganda.
Notes
-
sometomfoolery reblogged this from planetmoney and added:
I enjoy the debate. Every four years we get to hear some big ideas for tackling big problems. Income inequality is a...
-
thrice-over reblogged this from lipsredasroses
-
anindiscriminatecollection reblogged this from nickoftime
-
neuroticdragon reblogged this from seriouslyamerica and added:
I think I saw this a couple years ago, but had no idea of the back story. Suddenly it makes so much more sense. Random...
-
bananacupcakes likes this
-
pinkrotor likes this
-
marazione reblogged this from julianmincepie
-
julianmincepie reblogged this from didney-worl-no-uta
-
drwlee likes this
-
misslink8 likes this
-
theicsmuse reblogged this from birdwithapeopleface and added:
Mother of god. It’s a shame that many if these opinions have been internalized and have taken a more subtle hold.
-
birdwithapeopleface reblogged this from seriouslyamerica and added:
Good lord.
-
fluttersly reblogged this from catbountry
-
fluttersly likes this
-
yoshikmw reblogged this from laytonsass
-
birdwithapeopleface likes this
-
minlinah likes this
-
docot likes this
-
drtanner likes this
-
laytonsass reblogged this from maniacalnumerals
-
chachaprincey likes this
-
maniacalnumerals reblogged this from didney-worl-no-uta
-
blackharps reblogged this from didney-worl-no-uta and added:
America~
-
didney-worl-no-uta reblogged this from catbountry
-
irlponies likes this
-
rautorb likes this
-
specspectacle likes this
-
atcdblu likes this
-
leftistshuffle reblogged this from seriouslyamerica
-
zarggg likes this
-
gelquie likes this
-
apogee-duet reblogged this from draayder and added:
This brings the Gooby Plz meme to a whole other level.
-
apogee-duet likes this
-
chloemew reblogged this from chumpersonable and added:
We got shown this in a lecture just one or two weeks ago, along with a bunch of other old cartoons made around that...
-
safetybunny reblogged this from catbountry
-
chumpersonable reblogged this from draayder
-
draayder reblogged this from catbountry
-
takeoffandlandon likes this
-
technicolourclair reblogged this from totallynotagentphilcoulson
-
herblondness likes this
-
dirae3 likes this
-
catbountry reblogged this from totallynotagentphilcoulson and added:
>”You made less than $3000 last year?” Sometimes I forget how much INFLATION HAPPENED.
-
catbountry likes this
-
shortandnerdy reblogged this from seriouslyamerica
-
theneverendingrandomness likes this
-
holyfreakingcrap likes this
-
istellar reblogged this from seriouslyamerica
-
graphitetroll likes this
-
cool90sspyro likes this
-
totallynotagentphilcoulson reblogged this from lleveret
- Show more notes
