Tell Me Why This Won’t Work
“No one believes it will fly… but I do”
Caractacus Potts, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”
Call this the hair-brained scheme of the day, but try to explain why it won’t work other than just saying, “People won’t go for it.”
As history has shown us, people tend to adopt some pretty strange habits and customs once technology and the law conspire to allow them to develop.It was once said that American women would never vote, American slaves would never be freed, and that the sun would never set on the British Empire.
See how well that worked out?
Here is my plan to help the budget crisis, rid the country of illegal aliens and end most of the property and drug crime as we know it today:
Turn the American economy into a cashless system. No more cash or coin. The technology exists to handle this right now, and most of us already use debit cards instead of checks, use direct deposit from our employers, and participate in automatic bill pay for regular, monthly payments for utilities, auto loans and mortgages. (Lord knows we do at my house!)
The technology also exists to transfer money from individual to individual via cell phone gimmickry and, yes, this would include every kind of purchase from buying a car from your neighbor to paying the kid next door for cutting your grass.
How would this system fix the big problems of the day?
America’s Tax and Budget Woes: Conservative estimates tell us the U.S. government loses as much as 40 percent (some say more) of its rightly owed tax revenue to criminal underreporting of income/financial transactions and the “underground” economy (criminal activity and unreported cash-only businesses).
Many of us have very little chance of cheating the system like this, because we are paid through direct deposit, and only a total moron would fail to report as taxable income that which is clearly visible in his own bank records. But there are plenty who earn cash and never deposit the dough, which makes it difficult for the feds to tax you on it, much less know you ever made it to begin with.
Under a cashless system, all transactions could be tracked, and if an individual seems to have income that doesn’t logically add up to the wages they claim, the IRS will come knocking.
You think the money order business thrives because people are too lazy to order paper checks? No. You can’t send cash into the satellite TV provider, but crack dealer Jack can buy a money order with his drug cash and he is set up for the NFL Ticket on Sunday!
Scared of Big Brother? Hell, I know I am. But the authorities have the ability to subpoena my bank records right now if the cause is legitimate, and since I am almost 100 percent cashless in the way I handle my accounts, I am already “submitted for their approval.” (If I can do this, everybody can do this.)
Those of you who want a Fair Tax, or even a flat tax, this would be the best way to collect it. Sales tax collection would take place at the time of purchase, going straight to the local collection agency. No more middle man, no more sales tax thieves.
Illegal Aliens. All employees would have to be paid wages electronically, and then all purchases will be verified with a biometric system that verifies identity upon use. The technology is already here that can handle these transactions.
No one but legal citizens and guests would have the ability to earn and, or, spend money in this country. Want to see how many illegals stick around once they can’t have access to untraceable or untaxable cash? Let’s give it a try and see.
Crime. Under this cashless system, anyone who pays another individual for any good or service will be generating a record of the transaction. How quick is the casual drug user going to cease and desist if they know their purchase has been logged on the dealer’s account? This won’t be 100 percent effective, but it will take a huge bite out of the drug business, particularly among the middle class and affluent who are terrified of being caught.
Stolen property? The crooks couldn’t effectively fence it.
The technology to bring Americans online with such a system is already in place; all that is missing is the desire.
A few more years of oppressive and illogical tax policy, illegal alien overrun and the expensive war on crime might just bring that out. You Might Also Like:
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