That idea always gets people's attention, especially when you look at places that do manage with little or no income tax and still deliver a high standard of living. It sounds impossible at first, but it usually comes down to alternative revenue sources like natural resources, sovereign wealth funds, or strategic investment income.

On top of that, strong institutions really matter. Efficient governance, low Corruption, good education, and long-term planning tend to do more heavy lifting than tax rates alone. When innovation and entrepreneurship are encouraged, people often end up earning more anyway.

The big question for me is not whether it can work, but where it can work. Scaling those models to larger, more complex economies is a very different challenge, and that's where the debate gets interesting.