I started this thread as kind of a lark but also to give a little perspective. If you think the Iraqis are dragging their hind ends... How long has this Fair Tax been kickin' around? I know I heard of it years ago!
I have no direct say in it as I am Canadian but Canada does seem to plod along behind the US so, if you do this, we probably will too. We already pay 15% in sales tax here (7% federal, 8% provincial), so what would we pay under this system? Sales tax (VAT) is also very high in England but it's hidden - the price on the shelf includes VAT. I can't imagine how much it would have to be to replace income tax here even though it would be spread more evenly.
I would, however, be dancing in the streets if I didn't have to do so much paperwork! AAaaaahhhh! Even our current sales taxes have all sorts of exemptions, etc. for businesses who collect it. It's almost like doing an extra inome tax - four times a year! What do you want to bet, they'll complicate it like that? Even if it were to go in the way you want, I expect they'll mess with it over time and maybe put in a new income tax when some excuse of an emergency comes along... Don't forget, these things are administered by accountants and they will want job security.
The country was set up for the people to direct the government and they stopped doing that long ago. Now, they just let the government run their lives and some portion of them vote. That's the only input from people unless they have political aspirations. I swear they could make a law that we had to have our colons scraped out once a week and most people would bend over for it (I can't see people lining up for the job, though).
Iraq is an awful mess right now but I'd be sorry to see them settle into our mold. Time to quit ranting!
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (George Bernard Shaw)