[ExI] Abandon all taxes

[spike]

> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Eugen Leitl
...
> 
> > evolution of a new business in which people do not actually convert
> > purchases into eCash, but rather trade goods directly.  One can
> currently
> 
> That's simple barter.

Ja.  The goal would be to convert traditional trade to simple barter.  I
have bike parts for bikes I no longer own, useless to me but precious to
others, and vice versa.  If we trade parts, both have profited greatly,
altho from the tax man's point of view there is no taxable transaction.  The
value of the parts can be arbitrarily defined.

One can imagine agents that scan the e-stores and wish lists, then set up
deals where they take a cut, in merchandise.  Again this is not taxable
because the actual value of the trade items is arbitrary.  One could even
create software that wanders around looking at stores and wish lists, trying
to find matches.  

Consider for instance, the Suzuki Cavalcade secondary gear case.  What is
that worth?  You cannot buy them new; they have been unavailable OEM for at
least twelve years.  But they do fail, often in a way that makes them not
rebuildable.  So the value of that part to one who needs it is equal to the
value of a complete bike, in a very real sense.  I have a bike now that
needs one.  They are difficult to steal: a good mechanic takes a half an
hour to remove one, greatly increasing her risk of getting caught.  But she
will not steal one for you anyway, for a really good mechanic will instead
rip you off by the more traditional means.  

I would leave that gear case permanently on my wish list.  This would enable
a spin-off un-taxable business that will look for cavalcades that have been
crashed and totalled by the insurance company.  They would go take the
secondary gear case off of the wrecked bike, then trade them to me in
exchange for my antique bike parts or sexual favors.

...
> 
> I'm reading "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance". Have been wanting
> to read it since mid 1980s... Eugen* Leitl 

Be forewarned that Pirsig's masterpiece has very little to do with
motorcycles.  I loved that book when I was in college.

spike


(Kidding about that sexual favors bit.  My seller's reputation would plunge
dramatically when the buyer saw what she received in trade for a perfectly
good secondary gear case.  Nowthen, if I could work out a deal where I could
give her Greg Burch, then pay him with my aerospace books, for instance,
that would create a multi-win non-taxable barter deal.)