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Welcome to Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.2,457,487 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 a sotdae (pictured) is a tall wooden pole or stone pillar with a sculptured bird atop, traditionally set up for the purpose of folk belief in Korea?… that dozens of congressional candidates have endorsed “A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq”?… that the Iraiyanar Akapporul (”Study of Stolen Love”) contains the first major prose work written in the Tamil language?… that although chaotic, the Solar System is stable enough that its planets will not collide with each other for a few billion years?… that the highest point on Cape Cod is not Scargo Hill in Dennis as is commonly believed, but Pine Hill in Bourne?… that the Boreray is the most critically endangered breed of sheep in the United Kingdom, according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust?… that infielder Mike Cervenak spent so much time as a member of the Norwich Navigators that residents of the town dubbed him the “Mayor of Norwich”?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 US-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.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 21:52, 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…