Wow thanks for the condescension...But you are wrong. This guy even wrote a whole book on how and why you are wrong... Do some reading yourself. I once held onto the idea that VATs are regressive in nature and to be avoided, but the evidence simply does not support such a position IMO. There are plenty of VAT-having nations that are far less unequal in terms of wealth distribution than we are....The main difference being that they have the money to fund their policy ideas.
This book was recommended by Sarah Kliff on one of the old episodes, and I'm gonna second it. T.R. Reid's <em>A Fine Mess</em>. Like Kliff, I also closely followed Reid's healthcare reporting during the 2009 healthcare debate, and his round-the-world approach to reporting shines just as great in this book.