The World Is Flattening

IBD ^ | September 24, 2007

[Kaslin]

Fiscal Policy: In a free-market revolution sweeping central and eastern Europe, Albania and Bulgaria will become the latest ex-communist states to embrace a low-rate flat tax. To have lived under socialism is to appreciate capitalism.

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In America, cutting tax rates is an ideological issue. In the former Soviet satellites of Europe, it is increasingly not an issue at all — so obvious is it that it gives people better lives.

It began with Estonia in 1994, when Mart Laar as prime minister, thinking he was just emulating the capitalist West, made it the world's first nation in modern times to enact a flat tax. A major fiscal crisis resulting from the collapse of the Soviet Union was soon fixed, Estonia was growing at 7% a year and the "Baltic Tiger" was born.

Since 1994, Estonia's flax tax rate has decreased steadily from an original 26% to its current 22%. It applies to all personal and corporate income with no deductions.

[Kaslin]

I think the US could learn something from the former Soviet satelites

[blueheron2]

Do people that support a flat tax propose one tax or are other taxes added on top of that, i.e.would social security still be a separate tax ?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Our tax system is how the fascists socialists in our government keep us yoked.

[neodad]

The World Is Flattening

My first thought when I read the headline was "We're Doooomed!" ;-)

[frankiep]

This may be a little off topic but I am always amazed at how ideas swing back and forth.

For example, we took a hard line on Saddam Hussein in Iraq and acted on it, while much of Europe waffled and ultimately wound up doing nothing. Now, in regards to Iran, it appears as if the roles have reversed (at least up to this point) as we appear to be waffling and hesitant in dealing with Amadinnerjacket while countries in Europe such as France are taking an increasingly hard line.

Same thing with ruling governments. For the past decade the US has been one with a majority center-right government, while Western Europe has been decidedly left wing. Now many Western European governments are much closer to the right (relatively speaking) while ours seems to be drifting over to the left.

I could go on, but I think I’ve rambled enough for this post lol.

[ROTB]

This is exactly the kind of issue the Republican “Front-Runners” should be crowing about.

Note the tag line.

[frankiep]

http://theflatearthsociety.org/

[xcamel]

Breath of fresh air ping...
(like kryptonite to un-fair-taxers)

[1rudeboy]

For your list.

[ryan71]

“This is exactly the kind of issue the Republican “Front-Runners” should be crowing about.”

Yep.

“Hillary will take your money but through a flat tax we will give it back.”

[Erasmus]

A real "flat tax" would be if everybody paid the same amount.

Not the same percentage, the same amount.

[JSDude1]

Repeal the 16th, End the I.R.S. (and their enforcement agencies), then institute a Balanced Budget Amendment- then at the same time implement a flat tax of no more than 10% (BTW: End property and Sales taxes)! ;)

[Kevmo]

Don’t worry, Al Gore will save us from Global Warming and Global Flattening. After all, he invented the internet.

[ari-freedom]

Gore wants a flat economy

[devolve]

[potlatch]

I could post a pancake!!

[Zero Sum]

A real "flat tax" would be if everybody paid the same amount.

Not the same percentage, the same amount.

I think that's referred to as a "head tax".

[devolve]

.

LOL!

My “flat earth” became a Jumbo White Leghorn egg!

[potlatch]

Sunny side up too!! Don’t crack a yolk.....

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

A real "flat tax" would be if everybody paid the same amount. Not the same percentage, the same amount.

You didn't do so well in Math did you? I will presume by this statement that you certainly have never taken a course on economics either.

Just to be clear, the amount that the poorest would be able to pay, when multiplied by the entire population of taxpayers would not be enough to run even the simplest parts of the govt. You might get barely defense, but forget about roads, and pretty much everything else.

Strangely never in the history of civilization, to the best of my knowledge, has a system like yours ever existed. Maybe go back and have another think about it.

[capitalist229]

Our tax system will never be reformed because J6P is uninformed and the bankers want it to stay that way.

For instance how many know that there is no such thing as money ?

Money = Debt

Spread this video around !

BUMP

[Erasmus]

Gracious me! (As Donald Rumsfeld would say.)

< }B^)

[Red Boots]

This may be a little off topic but I am always amazed at how ideas swing back and forth. For example, we took a hard line on Saddam Hussein in Iraq and acted on it, while much of Europe waffled and ultimately wound up doing nothing. Now, in regards to Iran, it appears as if the roles have reversed (at least up to this point) as we appear to be waffling and hesitant in dealing with Amadinnerjacket while countries in Europe such as France are taking an increasingly hard line. Same thing with ruling governments. For the past decade the US has been one with a majority center-right government, while Western Europe has been decidedly left wing. Now many Western European governments are much closer to the right (relatively speaking) while ours seems to be drifting over to the left.

I have also noticed this trend, which I describe as another example of the chinese idea of ying-yang. It gives me some comfort to know that freedom will spring up somewhere else, even as it declines here.

I guess Bulgaria ( flat tax rate 8 %) is the place to be nowdays ! Who'd have ever thunk it ?

[longtermmemmory]

I would like to see a “tax me only once law”

So all sales, userfees, state income taxes, are 100% deductable from any federal income tax.