"The difference is that you have the control over what you do with, and how much you pay from, each paycheck under the FairTax."
Pure illogic. If you have a choice to not buy food and fuel each month, you also have a choice of not going to work. You are free to not pay the income tax by avoiding (evading for the English challenged on these threads) income. Same as avoiding (evading for you statists) a sales tax by not buying.
If you have a choice to not buy food and fuel each month, you also have a choice of not going to work.
And you think that what I'M saying is illogical? First of all, the fact that the current system discourages productivity (which is exactly what you're suggesting) and the fact that the FairTax discourages spending (encouraging saving/investing) underscores how ridiculous an income tax really is.
Secondly, your example assumes that a person's entire paycheck will be going towards absolute necessities. How realistic is that?
Beyond that, choosing between buying something (or not) isn't the only method of deciding your tax contribution. Buying used is not taxed (and no, I'm not talking about used food). I'm sure you just conveniently forgot this point for dramatic effect. It'd kinda ruin the thought that someone might have to choose to go hungry in order to "avoid" being taxed.