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Welcome to Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.2,456,683 articles in EnglishArtsBiographyGeographyHistoryMathematicsScienceSocietyTechnologyAll portalsOverview · Editing · Questions · HelpContents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z indexToday’s featured articleThe FairTax is a proposed change to the tax laws of the United States that would replace the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and all federal income taxes (including corporate taxes and capital gains taxes), as well as payroll taxes (including Social Security and Medicare taxes), gift taxes, and estate taxes with a national retail sales tax. Its enacting legislation, the Fair Tax Act is pending in the United States Congress. The tax would be levied once at the point of purchase on all new goods and services. The proposal also calls for a monthly payment to all households of citizens and legal resident aliens (based on family size) as an advance rebate of tax on purchases up to the poverty level. The sales tax rate, as defined in the legislation, is 23% of net prices which includes the tax (23¢ out of every $1 spent—calculated like income taxes), which is comparable to a 30% traditional sales tax (23¢ on top of every 77¢ spent). With the rebate taken into consideration, the effective tax rate would be progressive on consumption and could result in a federal tax burden of zero or less. However, opponents of the tax argue that while progressive on consumption, the tax would be regressive on income, and would accordingly decrease the tax burden on high income earners and increase the tax burden on the middle class. (more…)Recently featured: The Garden of Earthly Delights – Palpatine – GeneticsArchive – By email – More featured articles…Did you know…From Wikipedia’s newest articles:… that Mesotherium (”middle beast”) (skull pictured) was so named because its discoverer believed it was an intermediate between rodents and pachyderms?… that Watts Station was the only structure to remain intact along “Charcoal Alley” during the Watts Riots?… that according to legend, water from a holy well in Penrhys, Wales, can be used to cure rheumatism and poor eyesight?… that the Museum of Texas Tech University was housed in a basement for approximately thirteen years?… that G. S. Khaparde earned the moniker “Nawab of Berar” because of his personal and political influence in the central Indian province?… that the Ziegler Polar Expedition was stranded in the arctic for two years until it was rescued in 1905?… that “Gizzie” and “Slit” are two alternative common names for the Little Lorikeet of eastern Australia?… that the Cleveland Indians traded Bob Allen to the Pittsburgh Pirates in December 1963, only to take him back four months later?Archive – Start a new article…In the newsThe prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, requests a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir in connection to the conflict in Darfur.Belgian brewer InBev agrees to buy St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch for over 50 billion dollars, in what would surpass SABMiller as the world’s largest brewing company.The International Astronomical Union classifies Makemake (artist’s depiction pictured) as a dwarf planet.Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela is crowned Miss Universe 2008.European Union members and other nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea form the 43-member Union for the Mediterranean.Mount Okmok on the island of Umnak in the Aleutian Islands erupts.Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events…On this day…July 15: Festino of Saint Rosalia in Palermo, Italy1240 – Swedish-Novgorodian Wars: A Novgorodian army led by Alexander Nevsky defeated the Swedes on the Neva River near Ust-Izhora, present-day Russia.1685 – James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (pictured), was executed for his role in the Monmouth Rebellion, an attempt to overthrow King James II of England.1823 – A fire, accidentally started by a workman who was repairing the lead of the roof, destroyed the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. The church would later be restored by 1840.1974 – Greek-sponsored nationalists overthrew Makarios III, President of Cyprus, in a coup d’état and replaced him with Nikos Sampson.2003 – The non-profit Mozilla Foundation was founded to ensure the open source Mozilla project would survive after AOL Time Warner disbanded Netscape Communications.More events: July 14 – July 15 – July 16Archive – By email – More anniversaries…It is now 12:55, July 15, 2008 (UTC) – Refresh this pageToday’s featured pictureBeer Street and Gin Lane (left and right, respectively) are a pair of 1751 engravings by William Hogarth in support of the then-proposed Gin Act 1751. This Act of Parliament made the distillation of gin illegal in England. Beer Street shows a happy city drinking the “good” beverage of English beer, whereas Gin Lane claims to show what would happen if people started drinking gin, a harder liquor. People are shown as healthy, happy and hardworking in Beer Street, while in Gin Lane they are scrawny, lazy and acting carelessly, including a drunk mother accidentally sending her baby tumbling to its doom.Image credit: William HogarthRecently featured: Lower Consolation Lake – Chandos portrait of Shakespeare – New SynagogueArchive – More featured pictures…