Concensus? Suppose there were a national referendum with these two choices:
(A) A simple national VAT; no federal income tax, but the average persons total federal taxes will be 1/3 higher.
(B) A complicated federal income tax, but your taxes remain the same.
Which do you think would pass?
Theoretical? Nuts! IRS statistics say that in spite of all the bitching, moaning, and whining, the rich overall do in fact pay at higher rates than the middle class or poor. That means these simply taxes will cost the average person more. A few hundread for a tax preparer is bargain if that's your alternative.
A national VAT would be simplest.
A flat federal incone tax is next simplest.
And American liberals have vowed to fight both to the last man and last bullet- -because they're "regressive".
You're probably aware that the internet protocols emerged out of DARPNET
Yes. I was on the internet in the early '70s. DARPA was still a big part of it.
I was struck and somewhat surprised at the dominance of non-US companies. On a technical basis, the better technologies were dominated by foreign companies.
I'm not surprised at all. I knew it. And why. Up until recently (when they gave up because even they could see the war was lost- -because of those European countries you mentioned), the US gov't was INSISTING that encryption schemes orginated in the US HAD to provide them with a "back door" so they coudl read the encrypted text. "National sexurity", they said. It was pointed out to them at the time that this simply opened the door for foreign companies they couldn't control to sell codes that had no such vulnerability. Did no good.
So if you're a French or German or Afghani operation, whose code do you buy?
And along the same line, DOD and NASA money enormously speeded up transistor and IC development. Remember, single transistors used to cost $100+ EACH. The only customers were DOD and NASA. They had the money and they had the need. When it costs $10,000 a pound to get to LEO, $100 that saves you 3 oz. is a good deal. |
