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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby calls for national wealth tax

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 6 outlets across the spectrum.

9 articles in total, 2 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Man in dark suit gestures while speaking in front of a United Airlines jet.
Image via Business InsiderHow images are chosenReport this image

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told The New York Times that wealth inequality “has become a danger to our society” and backed a national wealth tax and an inheritance tax. In a later Bloomberg interview, Kirby argued that the current system lets wealthy investors avoid tax on investment gains and said a fair system would tax wealth growth alongside lower income taxes. Conservative politicians and commentators have criticized the proposal. Commentator Lou Basenese warned that taxing wealth could spell the “end of America,” and The Daily Wire reports that Kirby did not propose a specific rate for the tax.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Kirby told The New York Times that wealth inequality “has become a danger to our society” and that the federal government should address it.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Business Insider, The Guardian
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    New York Post

  2. Kirby backed a national wealth tax and an inheritance tax.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Townhall, The Daily Wire

  3. Kirby said the current system lets wealthy people avoid tax on investment gains and that a fair system would tax wealth growth alongside lower income taxes.

    One outletBloomberg· Left

  4. Kirby backed inheritance taxes approaching 100 percent for certain estates.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    Townhall, The Daily Wire

  5. Kirby did not propose a specific rate for a wealth tax.

    One outletThe Daily Wire· Far Right

  6. Conservative politicians and commentators have criticized the proposal.

    Reported byLeft2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, Bloomberg
    Far Right
    RedState, Townhall

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • A national wealth tax would be fair and would stop the wealthy from avoiding tax on investment gains.

    Kirby and Bloomberg describe it as a fairness measure that would tax growth alongside lower income taxes; Townhall and The Daily Wire say it would push wealth out of the country and that people would find loopholes.

  • The proposal amounts to confiscation of wealth.

    RedState and The Daily Wire describe the plan as confiscation; Kirby frames it as a question of fairness rather than policy advocacy.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Kirby called for a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes and said wealth inequality is a danger to society. Left and center coverage mostly reports his fairness argument and the criticism he faced, while right-side outlets focus on opposing the plan as confiscation and warn of harm to investors.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Headlines present Kirby as saying or defending that he backs a wealth tax, and the Guardian stresses the rightwing backlash against it.

    United CEO Scott Kirby Says US National Wealth Tax Seems Fair
    BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill's headline reports the CEO's call for a wealth tax in neutral terms, adding no reaction to it.

    United Airlines CEO calls for wealth tax
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    2 outlets · 2 opinion

    Far-right outlets call the proposal insane, confiscatory or the end of America, while the Post, a Right outlet, headlines Kirby's $32 million pay.

    The Tax Pitch That Could Spell The ‘End Of America’
    The Daily WireFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    lampooned by

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    ConfiscationDSA True Believerinsane planinsane

In the outlets’ own words

  • Partisan shorthand

    ConfiscationMore neutral: wealth tax

    Calls a proposed tax confiscation, a term that presumes it takes property unlawfully before its terms are discussed.

    Wealth Taxes and Confiscation?

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    DSA True BelieverMore neutral: Scott Kirby

    Links the CEO to a named political group with a label the article does not support with evidence.

    Is United Airlines Run by a DSA True Believer?

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    insane planMore neutral: proposal

    Calling the plan insane is the writer's judgement rather than a description of what the plan contains.

    United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is winning over no friend with his insane plan for a national wealth tax, and his plan for an inheritance tax — near 100 percent…

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    insaneMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    …wealth tax, and his plan for an inheritance tax — near 100 percent tax — is just as insane.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    Is InsaneMore neutral: Opposes

    Calling the plan insane is the writer's judgement rather than a description of what the plan contains.

    United Airlines CEO's Plan for Wealth and Inheritance Taxes Is Insane

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    lampooned byMore neutral: criticized by

    Describes critics as mocking the proposal, which is the reporter's judgement of their response.

    …Officer Scott Kirby defended his support for a national wealth tax that’s been lampooned by conservative politicians, arguing that the current system unfairly allows the…

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Kirby's fairness argument
  • Untaxed investment gains
  • Conservative backlash against the plan

Leaves out

  • Kirby did not propose a specific tax rate

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • BloombergLeft

    United CEO Scott Kirby Says US National Wealth Tax Seems Fair

    United Airlines Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby defended his support for a national wealth tax that’s been Loaded verb“lampooned by”Describes critics as mocking the proposal, which is the reporter's judgement of their response.More neutral: criticized byDisagree with this highlight? conservative politicians, arguing that the current system unfairly allows the richest Americans to accumulate fortunes without paying taxes …

    Read at Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from Bloomberg
  • The GuardianLeft

    United Airlines CEO faces rightwing backlash after calling for US wealth tax

    Scott Kirby says wealth inequality is a ‘danger to society’ and calls for inheritance tax in recent interview Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, is under scrutiny from conservative politicians and commentators for saying wealth inequality is a “danger to society” and …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • Business InsiderLeft

    United CEO Scott Kirby says he wants a nationwide wealth tax

    United CEO Scott Kirby said that income inequality "has become a danger to our society."

    Read at Business Insider (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Kirby's call for wealth and inheritance taxes
  • Fairness for Americans
  • Federal government should address inequality
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    United Airlines CEO calls for wealth tax

    United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby backed national wealth and inheritance taxes in an interview published Sunday, arguing they would help level the playing field for Americans. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

2 outlets · 2 opinion

Leads with

  • Kirby's $32 million pay
  • Wealth tax as confiscation
  • Warnings of capital flight and loopholes

Leaves out

  • Kirby's argument that investment gains go untaxed for the wealthy
  • Kirby's proposal to offset the tax with lower income taxes

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    The Tax Pitch That Could Spell The ‘End Of America’

    United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called for a national wealth tax earlier this week, but investment banker and political commentator Lou Basenese warns that taxing wealth could spell the “end of America. …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightFox Business report

    United CEO Scott Kirby — who earned $32M last year — calls for national wealth tax on the rich

    "Wealth inequality has become a danger to our society, and we need to address that," Kirby told the New York Times.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • TownhallFar RightOpinion

    United Airlines CEO's Plan for Wealth and Inheritance Taxes Sensational language“Is Insane”Calling the plan insane is the writer's judgement rather than a description of what the plan contains.More neutral: OpposesDisagree with this highlight?

    United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is winning over no friend with his Sensational language“insane plan”Calling the plan insane is the writer's judgement rather than a description of what the plan contains.More neutral: proposalDisagree with this highlight? for a national wealth tax, and his plan for an inheritance tax — near 100 percent tax — is just as Sensational language“insane”Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.More neutral: (omit) and quote the statementDisagree with this highlight?. …

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • RedStateFar RightOpinion

    Wealth Taxes and Partisan shorthand“Confiscation”Calls a proposed tax confiscation, a term that presumes it takes property unlawfully before its terms are discussed.More neutral: wealth taxDisagree with this highlight?? Is United Airlines Run by a Loaded modifier“DSA True Believer”Links the CEO to a named political group with a label the article does not support with evidence.More neutral: Scott KirbyDisagree with this highlight??

    Everyone who has traveled by commercial airline in the post-911 world knows that it can be a daunting experience, and an expensive one. Some of us are obligated to do so regularly, to see family that we may not otherwise see, for business, for any number of reasons. …

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    18 hr 59 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 1:58 PM EDT

  • Center

    16 hr 11 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 11:09 AM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 19, 6:59 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 19, 6:59 PM EDT
  2. The HillCenterOct 20, 11:09 AM EDT
  3. Business InsiderLeftOct 20, 1:58 PM EDT
  4. The GuardianLeftOct 20, 4:06 PM EDT
  5. BloombergLeftOct 21, 9:58 AM EDT
  6. The Daily WireFar RightOct 21, 11:08 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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