Scientists from the University of George Mason came to an interesting conclusion after they conducted a historical and economic analysis. In the 17th century, in France, there was a direct dependence between tax collection and the number of witches – the fewer the burned witches were, the more fully the treasury was.
How the researchers came to this conclusion?
It is known that in the 17th century all of Europe was afraid of witches. People believed that witches flew on brooms, used witchcraft gunpowder and poisoned pets.
Witch hunt allowed France to strengthen central power and even increase taxes. At that time, each feudal lord tried to take everything that was possible for himself, at the expense of the royal treasury. This was even approved by some monarchs, who thus guaranteed themselves the loyalty and devotion of their vassals.
During the hunt for witches, representatives of the central authority were sent, who were supposed to drive court cases. And the fewer the witches remained, the richer the state treasury became.
The study was conducted on the basis of preserved documents on tax revenues of that time and the number of trials against witches.
As the newspaper Australian newspaper “The Globe and Mail” writes, tax collection is accompanied by well -known magic. For example, protesters from the “Occupation of Wall Street” pay attention to the number thanks to which the General Electric company managed to beg the tax authorities. The company did not pay a single dollar of corporate tax for the period 2008-2010., and at the same time announced profit in the amount of more than $ 10 billion.
According to The Globe and Mail, in the 17th century, for such a “General Electric” would burn with the whole composition in the treasure.