kfl%mx.lcs.mit.edu@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU (08/10/86)
From: campbell%maynard.UUCP@harvisr.harvard.edu
Ahh, but that *is* a choice. You are perfectly free to empty your
bank accounts, convert all your dollars to lumps of gold, and go
live alone in a cave for the rest of your life. In fact, many of
us would be quite pleased if you did.
Sigh. It is true that the main postulate here is that it is never
immoral to simply mind one's own business. But this does not imply
having nothing to do with others.
Suppose I do just that. I live alone in a cave and raise and eat
potatoes. In the next cave over is someone who lives alone and raises
and eats carrots. Suppose one day we get to talking, and decide to
trade some of our food. So I give him some of my potatoes and he
gives me some of his carrots, and we are both satisfied with the
bargain.
At this point the IRS agent knocks at the cave and says "I saw that!
Those carrots are INCOME. You can avoid taxes by living alone and
dealing with nobody, but when you traded with your neighbor you became
subject to taxes." I object "These carrots aren't income, I got them
in return for potatoes of equal value. And the government had nothing
to do with the growing of either crop." He says "No matter. And I
plan to tax your neighbor, too. Those potatoes he got from you were
also income. I will be taking a percentage of both crops." I give
him a percentage and start eating what remains.
At this point the state tax agent knocks at the cave and says "I saw
that! You owe state income taxes on those carrots. AND you owe SALES
taxes on the POTATOES!" My neighbor and I both give him a percent of
our crops. My neighbor is so despondent that he doesn't watch his
footing. He falls down a ravine and is killed. He willed his crop to
me, so I go over to his cave to tend his carrots.
At this point another taxman shows up and demands a further percent
of what remains of the carrot crop as INHERITANCE tax.
Sigh.
...Keith
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