One reason is because just like in other countries they just raise the VAT up up up until th public can’t afford a loaf of bread;/ I hate that a VAT is added to the necessities, like groceries...you want to add a VAT to a television set, be my guest, but not to the things people must have in order to live.
Just by way of reference, the U.K. doesn’t add VAT to most foodstuffs, only the “non essential” luxury products.
Which type of taxes won't they raise up, up, up? For crying out loud, we have the highest corporate tax rate in the civilized world. And, of course, me and you pay that in the price of our products today.
The point of consumption based taxes is that EVERYBODY pays. Everybody gets hurt. Objective fairness.
We will never curtail spending as long as liberals and misguided conservatives keep trying to shelter their favored folks or favored products from the pain from out-of-control spending.
It drives me nuts when people like GWB brag that they took more people off the federal income tax. About half now pay net zero federal income tax. That is the opposite of fairness.
What you describe regarding the TV tax above is essentially using your personal subjectivity to institute a 'sin' tax. Those are always morally wrong and unfair objectively speaking.
Subjectivity is a corruption of true fairness. By definition.
There is a reason Lady Justice wears a blind fold. To thwart the evils of subjectivity.
What I always tell liberals is that if you just can't stop from wrongly thinking it is the governments' job to pick winners and losers, then for God's sake at least do that on the spending side. Let us have an objective tax system for once. Fair, clean and simple. And, more importantly to a strong economy - it's predictable.