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During the Meiji restoration, the Japanese elite was forced to adopt Western technology and industry, or forever cede hegemony of the Far East to the western powers. Ataturk was determined to bring Turkey into the fold of Great Powers, and modernized with such determination that he even, for a period of time, outlawed the fez. When credit cards were first introduced, many places refused to accept them, or would only accept corporate cards, rather than the generics, such as Visa. Eventually, that position became untenable, as business started to flow to places ensuring convenience. The elimination of the sales tax in Delaware effectively put a ceiling on the size of the sales tax that could be imposed in surrounding states, especially the Greater Philadelphia area, since plenty of people were willing to go to Wilmington to shop. It is interesting to contemplate the pace- setting function of competition...... |
