impactlab.com — Futurist Thomas Frey from the DaVinci Institute poses some very interesting arguments about why technology will lead to the downfall of the US Income Tax System within the next ten years. Taxes won't go away, just the overly complicated income tax system will.
Jan 19, 2006 View in Crawl 4
padewakJan 19, 2006
imagine if we gave most of our Federal Taxes to the city or town we lived in ...
rderveloyJan 20, 2006
The only problem with a consumption tax or national sales tax is that people have different opinions on what is a "necessity."Do you assume that "necessities" includes only the 4 basic needs: food, water, shelter, and heat?What about medicine? Is that a necessity? What about transportation to and from one's place of work? Does that include public transportation or private or both? If a person can't get to work, they can't earn money to buy necessites. What about towns without public transportation systems? In that case do you just tax cars that cost more than a certian ammount or do you tax all cars? What about taxing fuel and electricity? Aren't those necessites in a modern life? What if a person's job requires them to use a computer, do they pay taxes on that?Even with things like food and shelter, what foods or houses do you not pay taxes on? Should someone with a mansion not pay any taxes just like someone with a 1 bedroom hut?What about food? Does someone pay a tax on a Mc Donald's hamburger but not that nice jucy prime rib at the restraunt across the street? You can go on and on and on. So, what's the solution? You guessed it, deductables. People can deduct things they need to live. How do we prevent abuse? Audits! We ask for reciepts of things deducted and compare that with the person's job position and income level. So we just ended up right back where we came from! Nice work!And all of that doesn't even mention the problem of how lower-income people would still be forced to pay a higher percentage of their income through a sales tax.So what would be the solution? Probably some sort of compromise between a national flat income tax combined with other existing forms of taxes brought up to a national level.
bluparadoxJan 20, 2006
Seriously? The guy sounds like a moron."Sorry but that is not Marxism. Under true Marxism, money wouldn't exist. Read his manifesto and educate yo self. Having lower income people be taxed less as the system stands allows them to have more money for purchases. Otherwise, our economy would depend on the rich buying stuff instead of everyone. Seems fair to have all Americans able to buy stuff to boost the economy rather than let it decay. It's Capitalism 101."You do understand that rich people didnt get that way by putting all their money in their sock drawer right? Rich people will have all their money in investments, which means it goes towards economic development. Do you want all that money as investments in biotech companies looking for a cure to cancer or do you want it going to mcdonalds? Your argument just doesnt cut it...
Closed AccountJan 20, 2006
"No, the point of cutting their salaries is not to decrease the national deficit, but to take away the impetus for people to go into it for the money. The senate should not be a full time job for people, that is why it only meets certain parts of the year; they should get together, reflect on their lives as normal citizens, to make laws that would make life easier for normal people. It should not be about the prestige or the money, it should just be about making fair laws which a majority of the people aggree with, but don't encroach upon the rights of the minority."Politicians don't get into politics for the salaries, they get into it for power and perks. We don't need to cut salaries per se (although that would be good), we need to impose term limits on Congress members. Cut them back to 1 or 2 lifetime terms and watch the lazy, greedy bastards go away. There would be much less impetus for the ones who only care about themselves to go into office. What you would see is more Congress members that are actually there to serve...and not themselves.
tranixJan 20, 2006
"Ability to Pay" tax sounds great, but corrupt interpretation leads to inevatible loopholes and shelters for the rich and their wiley high-price accountants.
bloodguardJan 21, 2006
I make over 6 figures and under any of the fair tax, flat tax or VAT plans I've read about I'd end up paying -a lot- more than I do now.Making good money + great tax planner = in favor of the Status Quo and let them eat cake.[come the revolution I'll be living in NZ]
hittingrabbitJan 24, 2006
While extensively reading the different perspectives from both sides of the political fence,I allow myself to consider the positive and negative.While I agree that the tax laws are immensely too complicated,(lets also not exclude the ill defined and vaguely formatted tax forms)I do not believe that the best way to solve taxation issues is to make the actual problems translucent as they will not go away.We the people have a right to scrutinize all areas before jumping on a moving wagon or better phrased a jet-liner.History has shown us from the past that if there's a sparkle in the eyes of the politicians it is not to benefit the people but for the compelling int rest of a fictionalized identity.Hidden often under the disguise of the states attempting to assert a right in which belongs only to the people,but the state and the federal government invokes a right belonging to the people while carefully asserting that right under the disguise of and for the people.This care full craftiness can be shown by their past agenda's.Something about licensing,and now we have a right to be regulated by our servant's of both how we conduct travel being regulated under commerce and how well crafted have they become.How do they do it?lets say we are giving away $100.00 like the well known treasure hunt hosted by a world renowned site last year.I give you a clue lets say "they tended the rose garden"Now if one is somewhat intelligent then they may think the answer exists purely at face value,but then again another may think differently and look further in depth,something associated to a person that tends to a rose garden.Yet another whom is a little more creative looks to a familiar writing,or other artistry,to find the answer.Here's the problem,there is a near endless association that can be construed,in other words At face value topically an association to a particular subject may not seem to be in relation,but after care full scrutiny one finds that there is a close connection to the simple phrase,this complicates the matters.Why?Because people are differ ant and think differently,and associations are the equations,and for the answer to become apparent one must compile the equations to reach the solution.Being a 9Th grade drop out myself,my mentality isn't that much higher than of Mr. Forest Gump!But I do understand that we are being ruled by our servants,and the states are the worst and the first to abuse their authority,this is made clear by the states creating private contracts through corporations of the state,associating those private companies through contract employment with other state agencies,a trickery in which has deceived a nation,this has become very dangerous to an eledged free society.Why?For a few simple reasons,first you must know the simple meaning of a corporation,its basically a fictionalized identity,or better yet a group of identities,in which once corp orated receives special privileges from the state,this limits liabilities,makes it much harder to prosecute wrong doers.Secondly its a great way for the states to further extend their 11Th amendment immunity,by passing the liability off to the contracted corporation(invisible entity),in which in turns allows the contracted corporation to do things to the people that normally the states would not be allowed to do,this is in essence an abuse of power done so under the color of a state law.Our biggest problem has been that we were never taught what the Constitution of the United states really is,instead we have relied upon the government to do the right thing and be honest,that's our biggest mistake.While welfare and social programs appear to benefit those whom are economically challenged for whatever reason(s),it has been pr oven that it does nothing more that to feed the political,social,and economic machine,that leaves those with less with dependency upon the government.If you have a bit of time please read the constitution and note the wording of the 14Th amendment courtesy of the federal government,and how they have given you the privilege to become a citizen,while oops forgetting to tell you that in order for you to be a citizen you have to give up your sovereignty,a sovereignty in which was contracted under the Paris peace treaty in 1783,in King George of Great Britain relinquished his sole sovereignty over the colonists and all of their descendants,and the people were no longer his subjects,but became sovereign in their own right,even the legal Maxim is "the absolute sovereignty of a nation,is in the people of the nation".Now lets see how the government has become such a wicky-tricky,for every person born,or naturalized the government issues bonds in that individuals name,those bonds allow the federal government to then print an X amount of dollars in that individuals name,and the amount is based upon the expectation of what that individual will make in their lifetime.These bonds are issued without your permission(you can file a form to prevent them from doing this)they never tell you though in the first place.The money is then used to secure credit for the federal government,it allows them to expand their credit,and create a higher deficit.The point I'm making is fixing the tax laws is not where it needs to be fixed,fixing government is.Lets say the states,and congress successfully passes tax law reform,unless your willing to scrutinize over every aspect of the tax law changes in which undoubtedly will be several volumes at thousands of pages,most Americans will never realize the 200+ amendments that got attached to the tax law changes in which many topically looks far and distant from one another,but in their craftiness they were able to associate it enough in there ways to pass,once again their brief outline of the tax laws appear to simplify or dumb down the tax laws,but what they've done was made it much more complicated by hi dding their true intent.Now that Ive nearly finished my publication,I must say if we really want to change the tax laws,and all other problems,then we need to send a loud and clear message to both the states,and congress that they need to return power back to the people,so that the people can make the most beneficial changes for themselves,then we truly would be a free society.
bloodshotipodFeb 1, 2006
Yeah, I spelled the site wrong.fairtax.org
reddog_x2000Feb 1, 2006
I very much doubt that the tax system will collapse any time soon. Our government is no longer in the business of governing. It is in the business of building an empire.