海角大神

Does fairness flip at the US-Canadian border? Listening to the tax debates going on in both countries, one might think so. In the name of helping the 鈥渕iddle class,鈥� they are considering diverging paths.

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to crack down on the tax advantages available to upper-middle-income earners. In the United States, President Trump wants to expand them.

Of course, Canada and the US have different tax structures and different administrations in charge. But there鈥檚 something deeper, too. In his book, 鈥淒ream Hoarders,鈥� Richard Reeves argues that the real class divide in America is between the upper-middle class and everyone else. The 1 percent aren鈥檛 the issue, he says. It鈥檚 the top 20 percent who are pulling away.

And that appears to be where the US and Canada are diverging. To Mr. Trudeau, this group is part of 鈥渁 privileged few.鈥� To Mr. Trump, they鈥檙e part of 鈥渢he middle class鈥� that he says will benefit from his plan.

鈥淲ho is middle class?鈥� How each country answers that question will define its sense of identity and prosperity.聽