[Preechr]

One thing I forgot to address... the part where you contrasted my constitutionalist-ish-um-ness... whatever... in contrast to a consumption tax: Until the early part of last century, that was the ONLY way the federal goverment received any sort of tax money. Taxation at the income end was a HUGE change that would have been fought bitterly if not instituted to pay for a damn war.

Why is it we always drop our pants when Washington get itself in a war and then runs out of money to pay for it?

Anyhoo... A. Hamilton: (Federalist, XII), “…you fought a war with the British principally over taxation…now that you have your liberty how do you propose funding this new government of yours?” His response, “the ability of a country to pay taxes must always be proportioned, in a great degree, to the quantity of money in circulation and to the celerity with which it circulates. Commerce, contributing to both of these objects must of necessity render the payment of taxes easier and facilitate the requisite supplies to the treasury.”