I'd like ideas on the elimination of taxation moving forward.
Now, though of course I like the idea of elimination of taxes, the issues stand:
Are we to still have a Federal Government?
Are we to still have an America?
I understand there will be anarchists out there who will simply say "no", and I understand that. But I don't think, for the life of me, that as a society, we're anywhere near the abolition of state. Why? We started out pretty decently with the advent of America, and were closer then. Most people were more independent, self-reliant, and quite frankly, more courageous and had more grit. We've moved further from "statelessness", not towards it.
Also, taxation is theft. I get it.
BUT, if the answer is "yes", which I believe it has to be, while we walk the social paradigm back from the brink of hopelessness, how could the federal government be funded?
There is the Fair Tax, which seems like a top replacement strategy for the income tax, except that I think it would, perhaps, be more onerous than the current income tax for most of us. If you've never investigated:
"It would require the repeal of the 16th Amendment, and it would disband and defund the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A 23% sales tax is regressive because it impacts the poor the most. To make it more progressive, the Fair Tax Act proposes that all Americans receive a monthly “prebate," which would be equal to the 23% tax on the monthly cost of living at the poverty level. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the poverty level for a family of four was $24,600 in 2018, so the prebate would be $5,658 a year."
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-t...effect-3305765
My problem is this: This might seemingly backdoor something much more pernicious than even the Income Tax. It might just necessitate that the Feds track each and every purchase made by anyone in the US. Think about it.
Now, some have proposed the simple elimination of the Income Tax, altogether.
Those who advocate for the abolition of the income tax, yet still believe we can fund a Constitutional government (which is possible), say the revenue would come from other areas such as tariffs, property taxes, consumption taxes, such as what you see here:
But I propose this: Within all of these taxes, something insidious stirs. That is, the Federal Government keeping a tally of everything you own, the transactions you make, and what you earn.
I have a different idea.
How about an actual flat income tax, and that's it. And not a flat rate, but a flat sum. I propose that anyone making more than poverty level pays, let's say, $2,500. That's regardless if you are a CEO or a waitress. Sound unfair? Well, a CEO pays the same as a waitress for a gallon of milk, a gallon of gasoline, and the same for any identical good or service. So, given that they should receive the same "protection" (military, etc) for their taxes, why don't they pay the same for this "service"?
If there are 140 million employed Americans above the poverty line, this would bring the gov't a sum of $350 billion a year, which I would contend is enough to have a plenty powerful military, as well as provide for a Constitutional federal government.
Paying down the national debt and making payments on the interest to that debt is quite another matter, of course. Many might suggest that the Fed "get bent", as it isn't "our" debt, as we didn't sign a damn thing. Fine plan, but good luck with that, of course. Jo Jorgensen has proposed selling off the governments assets to pay down the debt, which is an idea with merit.
The most important ramification of the above plan is that the gov't no longer will have the power to meddle in the affairs of the populace using taxes as a weapon, or a "king-maker". The only thing they would need to know is if an individual makes above or below what is considered "poverty level". For most people, this would save them thousands a year in taxes, and many people tens of thousands. Also, with zero in "corporate taxes", businesses the world over would flock here to do business. Want to level the field with China? Forget their endless subsidies. Those will only be their undoing. But I digress...
Now, on to the lively discussion!
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