TAXES ON ECONOMIC RENTS are considered by economist to be an "ideal" tax. That means that there are no distortions when the tax is applied. The currently applied taxes have distortions that shift the burden of the tax onto the economically weak, reduce investment, reduce growth, increase unemployment, and apply an invisible "tax on tax" that reduces the possible amount of tax revenue can be raised. Economic rent taxes are free of these harmful effects. From the age of the Pharaohs bad tax design has repeatedly led to economic collapse, civil wars and total disaster. Economic rent taxes could prevent this happening again.