Tax discussion thread (U.S. focused)

[Final-Fan]

Hi, everybody! 

I'm creating this thread in order to discuss a specific topic with someone (The progressive tax & its effect on economic growth; Kasz216), but I don't intend to restrict it to that.  If you want to discuss the flat tax, the FairTax, whatever, it's fair game.  HOWEVER, I must insist that posters read the thread so that people don't retread the same exact ground with the same exact arguments. 

Speaking of which, if you want to discuss the FairTax, there was already a thread about it some time ago.  If you want to resurrect that, go right ahead, and if you want to talk about it here, that's fine too -- but I insist that you first read that thread in its entirety so that you have an idea of what has already been discussed. 

Please keep political agendas, attacks, etc. out of this.  This thread is to be about tax systems, theoretical or practical, not about Democrats and Republicans and libertarians etc.  Please also keep in mind that the current U.S. tax system owes its complexity to innumerable additions and alterations -- not the basic concept of a progressive tax. 

Here are the basic federal income tax rates in the USA as of 2007:  http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=164272,00.html

Here's a handy calculator, just for fun:  http://www.moneychimp.com/features/tax_brackets.htm

I may amend this first post, but for now, let's keep this civil and keep our minds open to learning something we didn't already know. 

UPDATE:  Kasz216 and I seem to be focusing on THEORETICAL tax models, so be advised that the thread is currently taking that direction.