<h2 class="eplus-2GpvuA">Tax a million</h2>

The outfits on display at the Met GalaOfficially the Costume Institute Gala, a yearly fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York. It is known for its extravagant themes and outfits. are designed to get people talking. What's unusual is for those outfits to get people talking about tax.

Yet that is exactly what the dress worn by left-wing politician Alexandria Ocasio-CortezElected in 2018, her previous job was as a bartender. She is famous for her radical politics but also for her fluency on platforms like Instagram, YouTube and Twitch. has achieved. One week on from New York's glitzy festival of fashion, as tensions mount over President Joe BidenThe president of the USA, elected in 2020.'s plans for the biggest tax rise in a generation, controversy is still raging over the words scrawled in red letters across her luxurious white gown: 'Tax the Rich'.

Ocasio-Cortez (often known as AOC) is one of the youngest and most divisive members of the US Congress. She is famous for her uncompromising positions on subjects like economic inequality and climate change.

But her decision to use the Met Gala as a platform for her message was particularly striking. The fashion pageant is one of the most exclusive events in the world, with tickets selling for more than $30,000 and outfits more eye-wateringly expensive still. Amid dresses woven from crystals and golden suits of armour, the socialistA term used to describe a range of beliefs that stress collective control of economic processes. In the USA, it usually refers to a group of people who think that the USA ought to be more like European countries, offering universal healthcare, a higher minimum wage, and stronger workers' rights. slogan stood out as a provocation directed at a financial and cultural elite.

Ocasio-Cortez and her supporters believe money that went into these outfits would be better spent on public services that benefit everyone. "The time is now for childcare, healthcare and climate action for all," she wrote in a caption on an Instagram photo of the dress.

That is also the opinion of the American president Joe Biden, although his rhetoric and plans are a little less radical. This week, Biden's government hopes to force through the country's biggest tax hikeA rise in taxes. The Biden tax plan raises taxes for rich individuals as well as companies, although it leaves open some tax loopholes often used by the very rich. in forty years. Under the plan, money would be taken from the incomes of the richest 5% of Americans in order to pay for healthcare, schools and environmental reforms.

Some economists, such as Thomas PikettyA French economist most famous for his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which is a study of changes in wealth and income inequality. and Joseph StiglitzOne of the most influential economists of recent times, a critic of global financial systems and wealth inequality., say it is vital to increase taxes to pay for these reforms. The challenges created by a global pandemic and a mounting climate crisis will take enormous amounts of money and expertise to solve, they say. The pandemic has squeezed poorer people's incomes while the richest have remained relatively unscathed. "It makes sense," says Piketty, "to ask the wealthy to contribute to the public good."

But tax rises are never universally popular, and neither was Ocasio-Cortez's dress. Many of her political opponents accused her of hypocrisy for attending an event for the super-rich despite her hostility to wealth. "AOC wanted to hang out with a bunch of rich celebs at a cool party without losing her socialist street cred," one conservative journalist wrote.

More serious criticisms of the idea of taxing the rich often question whether the government has a right to claim money that individuals have earned through hard work or clever investments. Some economists also argue that heavy taxation discourages ambitious people from hustling, since they will reap a smaller share of the rewards.

Should we tax the rich?

Defenders of free market capitalism argue that the government has no right to individual's hard-earned cash. Rich people and their money create jobs and stimulate the economy. Meanwhile the possibility of entering this elite provides a spur for others to work harder, dream bigger and innovate.

Socialists like Ocasio-Cortez disagree: nobody deserves to be a billionaire, they say, and nobody gets rich without benefitting from publicly provided services like schools and roads. Collective problems must be solved collectively, and those with the broadest shoulders should carry the greatest burden.

Met Gala - Officially the Costume Institute Gala, a yearly fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York. It is known for its extravagant themes and outfits.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Elected in 2018, her previous job was as a bartender. She is famous for her radical politics but also for her fluency on platforms like Instagram, YouTube and Twitch.

Joe Biden - The president of the USA, elected in 2020.

Socialist - A term used to describe a range of beliefs that stress collective control of economic processes. In the USA, it usually refers to a group of people who think that the USA ought to be more like European countries, offering universal healthcare, a higher minimum wage, and stronger workers' rights.

Tax hike - A rise in taxes. The Biden tax plan raises taxes for rich individuals as well as companies, although it leaves open some tax loopholes often used by the very rich.

Thomas Piketty - A French economist most famous for his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which is a study of changes in wealth and income inequality.

Joseph Stiglitz - One of the most influential economists of recent times, a critic of global financial systems and wealth inequality.