Freedom tech and the tax system
2024-10-27 16:25:00 +07:00 by Mark Smith
I commented earlier about Matt Odell’s and Marty Bent’s view on zero tax policies. I thought the idea of re-designing the tax system, and approach it like freedom tech, aiming to create a system that respects end users, was an interesting idea. If you rebuilt the tax system to give maximum privacy and user freedom, what would the system that emerges look like? Perhaps it would naturally be better for everyone.
Something that did occur to me, is that sure, the system might be great for privacy, but wouldn’t that favour criminality?
It would likely eliminate the worst of the worst because, since the system is more private, criminals would no longer have access to non criminals income data, it wouldn’t even exist, so they loose the ability to easily target them. I imagine that’s quite a big downside for criminals. On the other hand, they gain the ability of much easier financial transactions.
Consider the case where somebody looses everything. How that happens isn’t that important, a bad business decision, a messy divorce, whatever. Aren’t criminals in a better position, especially internationally, to get back on their feet?
For the non criminals to be okay with zero tax policies, it makes sense for them to demand free movement and removal of work visa systems globally so there is a level playing field.
It’s an interesting thought experiment, especially because it makes you think about how things currently are practically speaking, how they might look in a future where the systems we build really do promote user freedom, and how we would get to such a future. It’s an important thing to think about because there is the real danger of folks pushing for freedom for we but not for thee arrangements.
If the freedom tech advocates could see that freedom tech would make their situation worse in some aspects of their life, would they still remain true freedom tech promoters?