Taxes aren't punishment.
Taxes are the cost of living under a government that provides necessary and wanted services. You don't see the Federal Government amassing huge stockpiles of cash, do you? It's always in deficit. The US doesn't collect enough taxes for the spending it does.
I said, "Who will benefit the most from that?" Everyone who is able to should contribute toward upkeep of the government. Just like your example of the draft, if everyone who is able to contributes, then it keeps the government on its toes.
If those who are most able contribute less (on a percentage basis) than someone who has to work 2 or 3 jobs to get by, then that's not a sustainable system. Something will break down. Either people will find ways to avoid the taxes they view as unfair, or ...
There's little doubt that the people who would benefit the most from this Fair Tax scheme (it's even a "risky scheme" except it has no chance of passage) are the very wealthy.
your premise of sales taxes and realestate is a canard its the buyer who pays sales tax, not the seller. Plus if you sell at a profit no capital gains would be assessed.
1) Most people who sell a house have to buy another one. Often a more expensive one. The tax would still be collected from the original seller in most cases. 2) I didn't notice anything in the bill about capital gains - I got the impression that all retail sales (except to charities, some business transactions, etc.) were under the sales tax. (I'm too lazy to check it again.) They do say they want to eliminate multiple taxation, but as it stands now up to $500k of profit on a home sale is not taxed federally. It seems to me that this bill would change that.
I think you have more confidence in the bill being written in such a way that clever tax lawyers can't put in loopholes. I'm not so sanguine. I remember when leasing became the rage because of its tax treatment....
How we feel about the rest of it depends on our biases and who's economic analysis we believe. I'll agree to disagree.
Cheers,
Scott.