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Robin Hood provided one of taxations greatest soundbites, “rob from the rich and give to the poor.” The real power behind soundbites comes when the phrase outlives the usefulness of its context. The Obama Administration’s push for Universal Health Care/Coverage is being spun as just such a Robin Hood approach; increasing taxes upon the wealthiest Americans to provide health care for the poorest of Americans.
In most tellings of the Robin Hood story, the hero and his Merry Men were attempting to stop runaway taxation upon the public. Robin Hood “stole” from Prince John and (depending upon the tale) either returned the money to the unfairly taxed or held it for the absent King Richard. Fundamental to the moral of this fable is the idea that those whom Robin Hood robbed deserved their punishment for their wicked ways – the government was robbed, but not honest merchants, farmers, or craftsmen who happened to be successful. To accept the application of this aphorism to universal health coverage, we must accept that those who will be taxed higher have unjustly taken from the poor who will benefit. To see the government as Robin Hood, we would have to see a medical doctor husband and attorney wife as the analogies to Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham.
A more honest analogy (and not necessarily a pernicious one) would be to paint the administration as “Slick Willie” Sutton. Sutton was another notorious thief who was asked by reporters why he robbed banks. Sutton allegedly replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” I have no idea how well this level of honesty would play with the public (“We intend to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans, fair or not, because we really want universal health coverage and we can’t think of another way to pay for it that the majority of the public would accept.”) but I’d love to find out.
It can be intelligently debated whether or not increased taxation on the wealthiest Americans is necessary to pay for universal health coverage or even if it is a desirable thing. It is, however, dishonest to both the moral and the story to claim that increased taxation on the wealthiest Americans to pay for health care is “just” in the sense of Robin Hood. In the present case, it seems that the Robin Hood analogy is the precise opposite of the picture the administration wants to paint. Then again, it’s catchy and easily spun which really is the point of soundbites, afterall. And it’s almost certainly better than the soon-to-be spun, “Give unto Washington what belongs to Washington.”
