Federal taxation

For more than a century, the federal government operated without an individual income tax being levied against Americans. Somehow it was able to survive and fund itself. We have now reached a point where the tax code is thousands and thousands of pages long.

This country has reached a point so distant from the foundation of our government that many accept the power of the Federal government to place a direct tax on the labor of individuals. I believe that this amounts to slavery. I am not free to earn a living by trading my job skills for a paycheck from a private employer without the intrusion of government into my wallet, deciding how much of my income I shall retain for myself.

This could all change, as the National Retail Sales Tax or "Fair Tax" plan is gaining momentum all the time. I see the NRST as a tremendout improvement for two reasons.

One, the people will have the freedom to save or spend money as they see fit, and those of us like myself who prefer to live simply can save or invest the 30-50% of our income which is currently being confiscated from us before it reaches our hand.

Two, our current system punishes citizens for government inefficiency. If the government mismanages our money or wishes to appropriate more than it takes in via taxation, it simply raises the rate of taxation which stifles economic development.

On the other hand, under a National Sales Tax plan, in order for government to increase its revenues, and therefore increase its base of appropriations, it must create favorable economic conditions where people are spending more money. This means that consumers must be optimistic about the job market, employers have capital available for expansion and pay increases, etc.

I ask simply: which system is better? One where government funds itself by taking bread from the hands of the producers, or one which entices the consumer to pay more taxes by creating favorable market conditions?