Today I dotted the I's and crossed all the T's on my tax forms. I've never been happy about having to do this, because unlike most people I know, I have to pay the government instead of getting a nice return. These are the pitfalls of freelance designing, I know, but having to go through this mess every year has done nothing but remind me why I am a Republican.

It's been the standard conservative theory that lower and less taxes will lead to a stronger, more competitive economy. Cutting down paperwork, getting rid of the IRS, and not punished successful people all tend to be high on our priority list. And far off in the distance, I hold that Libertarian dream of a true flat tax where my income is left untouched and I can buy all of the used, tax-free stuff I like... oh that will be the day.

But the Fair Tax Initiative is a long way off. While President Bush has been trying to reform the tax code, as well as making his welcomed tax-cuts permanent, most politicians don't even want to think about something as drastic as a flat tax. Why, without the IRS how would our government function? Most can't even imagine living in a country where we get to keep 100% of our paychecks and pensions. It's a shame, really. Because until then, we'll be wasting millions of those little Post-it "sign here" tabs.

This Sunday is the 3 year anniversary of Saddam fleeing Baghdad, and NewsMax has compiled a very extensive list of the progress the country has made. Writer Dave Eberhart says, "Over the last six months, according to recent polling data, two-thirds of Iraqis surveyed have steadily expressed the belief that the Iraqi Security Forces are winning the battle against terrorism."

All of the stats and information has been taken from the Pentagon's massive new report: "Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq," which was recently issued to Congress. Eberhart took the time to comb through the thick document for some of the more pertinent topics. His report features stats on Iraqi security forces, increased support from all religious parties, increasing effectiveness of law institutions, economic activities, and international support numbers. It's very extensive, but proves that we are making substantial progress in Iraq that is largely being ignored by the Mass Media.

Click here to read the entire article.