"We need tax reform, but abolishing the income tax outright is about the single most risky proposition of destoying that which most of us clearly take for granted: a stable government."
I agree that a change of this magnitude is not risk-free, but the enormous benefits would seem to make it a worthwhile endeavor.
However, it should be pointed out that staying with the current system, which is growing like a cancer, is NOT a low risk alternative. Many uninformed Americans assume that it is. According to CCH, the tax system, which was 23,000 pages when Jimmy Carter described it as a "disgrace" in 1976, is now up to app. 60,000 pps. At the rate it is growing, it will exceed 100,000 pages by 2010. Does anyone want to bet that it holds together that long? The evidence that it is buckling under its own enormous weight already are all around us.
We can either get serious about FTR now or wait until we have a huge disaster - the choice is ours.
Honestly, the number of pages is completely meaningless. Red herring. And besides, I'm completely in favor of cleaning up and simplifying income tax, and that starts with electing the right people to do this. But I haven't read one lucid argument yet why we need to completly scrap in favor of a theoretical one. We're talking about very serious business here.
Many uninformed Americans assume that it is.
Yeah, you know what? Spare me your 'subtle' insults in the future, ummkay?