Okay, love it or hate it, here is a positively final fiscal plan. I put it in list form for the sake of simplicity:

1. Freeze the monetary base and the minimum wage.
2. Immediately privatize all welfare programs, including Social Security, by giving them to non-profit organizations and subsidize them only through tax deductions for purely voluntary donations.
3. Tax all personal income, regardless of family status, at a flat rate of 15% of the amount over $11,000.
4. Eliminate all tariffs and subsidies.
5. Eliminate corporate, capital gains, dividend and inheritance taxes.
6. Use surpluses solely to pay off the national debt until it no longer exists, then give the surpluses back to the taxpayers in the form of rebates.

(By the way, to celebrate, I am going to change my avatar into something that looks a bit more decisive.)

and I like the old avatar better.
Sorry to ruin your day. I'm a real joykill today.

Well, at least now I've made up my mind on the basics of fiscal policy. It was high time I did so considering that I am 20. I'll still have to register as an Independent, though.

Well done force! I like very much, you are becoming more Conservative by the minute I'm so proud and to think it was only a few days ago when you where a liberal populist maybe their is hope for everyone out there.

BTW who is the avatar of? I can't really tell is it Locke, Paine, or someone else?

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Nobody with open eyes can any longer doubt that the danger to personal freedom comes chiefly from the left. - F.A. Hayek

Where have all the Conservatives Gone?

There is always hope, as long as one can think.

My avatar is a painting of Immanuel Kant.

I can honestly say I have never read his works force. I only remember he was a "late bloomer".

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Nobody with open eyes can any longer doubt that the danger to personal freedom comes chiefly from the left. - F.A. Hayek

Where have all the Conservatives Gone?

There is always hope, as long as one can think.

Well, to be honest, I haven't read any major philosophical works in their entirety. He seldom addressed politics, but his ideas on ethics have strongly influenced me.

About the minimum wage, why keep it? I mean, the level of the wage is completely inapproriate for today's dollar value. Its not even a minimum wage anymore.

1. You'd never get the support.
2. You must NEVER do anything immediately. If you plan on getting rid of it all it must be done slowly because no one will be ready for an IMMEDIATE change.
3. The whole reason the government has many social programs is because they become guaranteed. Thats a very important element.
4. Would you get rid of public welfare programs like education, the army, police force, firefighters, and 911?

Why 15%? Plus, 11,000 isnt enough to support oneself, especially a family.

This isnt politicaly feasible, at least not in the short term. Furthermore, can you possibly imagine how many Americans would lose their jobs and businesses go out of business.

No comment.

What surpluses are you referring to? A surplus is the opposite of a debt. Too my knowledge we dont have a surplus until the debt is gone. Then again, I could be wrong on that one.

That's the part I find weirdest about it. The word "final" should never be used in politics. What if you tried it and the results were disasterous? Wouldn't it need to be reformed? And do you think you aren't ever going to change your mind, even slightly? C'mon, Force. You know better than that.
Oh well. That's my final word on the subject.

If economic conditions changed, I would eliminate the minimum wage, but at this point it is still needed. I understand your case for an incremental approach, but the government doesn't. It would lose track of such a goal in partisan politics unless it were achieved immediately. As for the other programs that you mention, they lack some, though not all, of the counterproductive features of government welfare. I will address them further in future threads. I chose 15% because it would pay for remaining government programs without placing an undue strain on the economy. I chose $11,000 as the starting point because that is roughly what the national minimum wage is. Corporate taxes are ultimately redundant, since corporate money eventually flows to individuals. Finally, you are confusing debt and deficit. We have had a national debt for decades, but in the 1990's we had surpluses, since the government took in more money than it spent, thus reducing but not eliminating the long-term debt. In reply to JavaBlack, I highly doubt that I will ever be in a federal public office (especially with ideas like mine) so applying my ideas will never be a problem.