What amount of spite would it take to run an economy at 4% sales tax in the modern world to render your country dependent on a foreign power of some kind like China when you could have raised the sales tax to avoid the dependency and when you could also provide $200.00 per citizen to each citizen every day if you maintained a 20% to 30% sales tax like the other members of Nato and Norad? How can you sustain long periods of warfare and national defence without a "Joseph of Egypt" Storehouse full of sales tax revenue? How can you have hegemony on par with Russia or China if you don't have a population as well financed, covered and protected with sales tax like their population? When a Russian runs into an American in Zanzibar or New York, he can only nod in sympathy for the American whose country is in debt to foreign countries and the average American does not have sufficient income support. Some do in some states and some do not. The 20% or 30% sales tax is the policy followed by all major and modern computerized economies regardless of the size of the territory. Anything less than 20% is truly anathema based on the evidence of current, modern expectations with Singapore being one good example as a country that remains an English protectorate. Russia is also an example. The Republic of Ireland and France are also examples. Hegemony and spite are motives and emotions and they have targets and audiences. Maybe you are engaged in having hegemony over your children or the younger generation some how in your home or your town but you lose hegemony outside in comparison to people from the Caymans. I checked the currency rate sheet this morning. The Euro is worth more than the USD.

 What amount of spite would it take to run an economy at 4% sales tax in the modern world to render your country dependent on a foreign power of some kind like China when you could have raised the sales tax to avoid the dependency and when you could also provide $200.00 per citizen to each citizen every day if you maintained a 20% to 30% sales tax like the other members of Nato and Norad?  How can you sustain long periods of warfare and national defense without a "Joseph of Egypt" Storehouse full of sales tax revenue?   How can you have hegemony on par with Russia or China if you don't have a population as well financed, covered and protected with sales tax like their population? When a Russian runs into an American in Zanzibar or New York, he can only nod in sympathy for the American whose country is in debt to foreign countries and the average American does not have sufficient income support. Some do in some states and some do not.  The 20% or 30% sales tax is the policy followed  by all major and modern computerized economies regardless of the size of the territory. Anything less than 20% is truly anathema based on the evidence of current, modern expectations with Singapore being one good example as a country that remains an English protectorate. Russia is also an example.  The Republic of Ireland and France are also examples.  Hegemony and spite are motives and emotions  and they  have targets and audiences.  Maybe you are engaged in having hegemony over your children or the younger generation some how in your home or your town but you lose hegemony outside in comparison to people from the Caymans.         I checked the currency rate sheet this morning.  The Euro is worth more than the USD.