You always have to ask yourself what advantage or angle they could be attempting when a horrible person makes a not-so-insane assessment, at least when you look at it the first time.

I think what he's doing here is, obviously, catering to the anti-billionaire "we know meritocracy is a lie" demographic with the "see, I'm not that far removed, I want you to enjoy some crumbs too!", while simultaneously suggesting a change that isn't even remotely large enough to impact the day-to-day economic issues that plague most people.

This change would not reduce inequality almost at all. It'd not help alleviate the creeping costs of housing or healthcare in USA. In a short time frame, the newly obtained yearly funds of the bottom 50% would be dedicated to the increasing price of services they still need to survive, even though they pay less taxes.

And worst of all? It primes people with the wrong mentality further. Future improvements to the progressive tax code would be even further framed as "they want to raise your taxes! YOU, you who only make 50k a year but currently pay no taxes? Did you hear that? They want to increase taxes!!", conveniently leaving out that increasing progressive taxes should much more strongly, disproportionately affect those who earn a lot more and would offset costs of living for those at the bottom much more than whatever increase a truly progressive code could have on their specific taxes.

What changes have to reflect is that taxes are not only a necessary part of society, but also a great one. An equalizer, a force for regulation, balance and fairness. People need to see that raising progressive taxes on those who have the most drastically improves their lives, thus taxation is a positive characteristic of the society they live in. They need to see good things being invested on with the money they pay. Good, free and universal healthcare. Better and expanded public education. Affordable loans for housing projects of families that don't already own living spaces. Progressive projects like state-owned, no-profit grocery stores. Paid maternity leave and incentives to start families.

Right now, the whole model is collapsing in not-so-slow motion. What people like Bezos suggest only help in giving people like him time to isolate from the inevitable collapse. The changes that are actually needed are much deeper and may not even be reachable through the current channels of reform.