VAT

I like the VAT implementation here. They force you to put the final cost plus VAT on the product. No need to figure anything. If you buy for resale, they take it out and show you the difference so you can refund the tax on final sale. The problem really is that it doesn't scale. If you make more, you should pay more. I don't like paying more, but at a fixed rate those that can't keep up, can't keep up. In the US, because you're taxed on every sale of a good the final cost can rocket out of proportion. Here, the final cost stays closer to the initial cost because the tax is only applied to the producer at the end (note, producer here, not consumer) and is entirely refundable if taxes are applied again later.

Also, the police I'm watching here on the telly are not nearly as imposing as US police. I think if I'da been busted for fondling moddles and swearing at police in the US I'd get my shit kicked in. Not these kids on the telly tho. They just kinda go on.

I'm also a bit interested in the amount of CCTV here. I know something like that wouldn't fly in the US right now (right now meaning maybe later), but I'm not sure why. The goal of CCTV is to protect the public in public areas. The key here is public areas. If you're in a public area, what right to privacy do you have? In the privacy of your own home, absolutely you should be free to do as you please without interrupting the constitutional rights of others without the threat of government interference. What about public rights? I don't like basing things like this on 'what if's', but in terms of basic civil rights, do we have the right to not be watched in public areas? I don't know. I want to say no just because I know I'm going to London and I know that CCTV will keep me 'safe' there. As an American though, I'm torn between my right to not have 'the man' in my face and my right to be safe and protected by my government. What thoughts do we have on this?