The US needs a "permanent" war tax

[SoCalDem]

The congress needs to make law that cannot "expire".. The law needs to say that whenever a new "war/military action/whatever they want to call it" is taken on, an IMMEDIATE 10% tax is levied on EVERY financial transaction...by EVERYONE..

We used to have a luxury tax on non-essentials like leather goods, furs, jewelry, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.

We need a war tax, so that when people see their receipts, they see WAR TAX on it, so they know they are paying extra for everything they buy..and I do mean EVERYTHING... every stock transaction,., every dividend check...even social security checks/pension checks.

When enough people realize that THEY are paying for adventurism so military contractors can get wealthier, perhaps they will start electing more responsible people.

[Warpy]

1. Please no, not another regressive tax that forces the poor to pay for rich men's wars.

I'd go for a large tax on incomes over $500,000/year, though. Or a transaction tax on Wall Street, another beneficiary of constant warfare as long as it's not here.

However, forcing the rich to pay for that military gorilla on our backs would be a good first step.

I'm sure the will to put the Pentagon on a diet would soon follow.

[SoCalDem]

2. Sadly, it would have to be on everyone to have any real impact

When poorer people see where their money is going, they might start to read up on the waste that;s really happening, and quit concentrating on the "voter fraud/food stamp fraud/etc" that;s NOT happening in a big way..and perhaps they might finally wake up from their stupor long enough to vote the warmongers OUT of office

[Cleita]

3. Why not pass a law stating military contractors must produce military stuff

for what it costs. They are not allowed to make a profit. Watch Halliburton, Blackwater, Xe or whatever they are calling themselves today, Boeing and the rest disappear into the corn field. I think this is what we did during WWII. The manufacturers of war equipment and arms weren't expected to make a profit.

[former9thward]

6. Ford, GM and all the rest made huge profits in WW II.

After 1942 no cars were made. Just tanks, planes and other equipment for the military. Our Constitution would not allow the government to tell a corporation not to make a profit.

[Cleita]

7. It should. n/t

[logosoco]

4. I wish we could base it on people's fear or how much they stand to profit from the wars. nt

[Old Codger]

5. I do believe

That we already have a few of them...

The excise tax on tires was first levied in 1918 mainly because of revenue needs brought about by World War I. The tax was reduced after the war, and then repealed in 1926. The levy was reintroduced during the Great Depression at a time when federal individual income tax revenues were plummeting, and was increased to help finance World War II.

still exists on tires and such