
      One of the commentators on one of the Big Three news programs 
described the VAT (which ain't a sales tax) as a tax "government's love."
I was even surprised he got the reason right:  it effectively hides the
majority of the tax the consumer has to pay *from* the consumer.  It's
kind of like they do with cars.  You pay far more for automobile taxes than
most people realize because it's contained in two dozen different taxes,
everything from your license to your tires to your gasoline.
