A Few Updates

I'll point to a few news stories that have a bearing on things I've recently written about.

The Chinese Threat to Taiwan

[Update: For related posts on China, go here.]

The Guardian has an excellent article on the large and growing threat posed by China to Taiwan, which includes present and future abilities to threaten American military and civilian interests.

"If Beijing keeps building up its strength, our analysis is that by 2008 to 2012, the balance of power will tip towards China," Mr Tsai said.

While Taiwan's air force pilots and "counter-forces" are better trained and technically equipped than their Chinese equivalents, according to Mr Tsai, this advantage is threatened by China's investment in new forms of electronic warfare.

"More than 700 ballistic missiles are deployed across the coastal province of China. We expect that to increase to 800 by 2006, including about 100 long-range missiles capable of delivering a warhead more than 12,000km (7,500 miles) - capable of hitting California or any part of the Pacific region, including Taiwan, Korea, Japan."

Read the whole thing.

A Call to Abolish the IRS?

No sooner do I post about the threat of the IRS being "re-fanged" do I find a story about an attempt by one Republican to replace the income tax with a national sales tax. His proposal is far from ideal, but it would be a step in the right direction.

His bill would abolish the IRS and the many billions of tax forms it sends out and receives. He would erase the federal income tax system -- personal and corporate income taxes, the regressive payroll tax and self-employment tax, capital gains, gift and estate taxes, the alternative minimum tax and the earned income tax credit -- and replace all that with a 23 percent national sales tax on personal consumption. That would not only sensitize consumers to the cost of government with every purchase, it would destroy K Street.

"K Street" is shorthand for Washington's lawyer-lobbyist complex. It exists to continually complicate and defend the tax code, which is a cornucopia from which the political class pours benefits on constituencies.

I do like that part about "sensitizing" the citizenry to the costs of government, but another part of the proposal (an advance monthly rebate) would partly undercut that. I especially agree with the article on one thing, though. If we do this or something like it, we need to follow up with a repeal of the sixteenth amendment.

Jeb's Rebellion

Dick Morris discusses how what he calls the "moderate" part of the American electorate reacted to the Terri Schiavo debacle. He disappointingly devotes no ink to the lawlessness of what the governor of Florida attempted to do, but he offers the following encouraging political insight. Jeb Bust may have not only shown himself unfit for office, he may have rendered himself unelectable.

... Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) better look for a new line of work. The right is mad at him for not standing in the hospice door. The center is furious at his butting in where most Americans, and Floridians, feel [sic] he has no right to be. Only the left is overjoyed to see a possible presidential contender caught in the crossfire. ...

[B]y taking a doctrinaire position and then backing off it, Jeb Bush has shown us that he would charge where others would tread with caution. Too bad. We might have needed him to stop Hillary.

With the way Hillary is cozying up to the religionists, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for her to win if that knocks some sense into the secular conservatives. Furthermore, I'd rather have a secular Republican to oppose her. It's probably too much to hope for, but such a race could offer a stark contrast between candidates for a change. (And there's one less religionist in the field!) A religious leftist versus a secular capitalist! Hillary would much more likely to lose such a contest than the one between her and Bush, which would consist entirely of groveling before the religious right.

In any case, I'm glad he likely took himself out.

-- CAV

Updates

4-17-05: (1) Added two hypertext anchors. (2) Added reciprocal link to index post for section on China.