From: tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)
Date: Sat, 4 May 1996 17:05:36 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: "Bit Tax" proposed by satan@hell.gov
Message-ID: <adb030b801021004ab95@[205.199.118.202]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 11:13 PM 5/3/96, Steve Reid wrote:

>The problem with a tax on data is that it would be *extremely* unfair.

Chill out, it's not a real proposal.

>It would be like a tax on atoms. With a tax on atoms, the tax on a bag of
>groceries would be hundreds of times greater than the tax on a diamond
>ring, because there are more atoms in a bag of groceries
>
>Bits are the digital equivalent of atoms. With a tax on bits, the tax on
>the download of an up-to-date virus scanner would be hundreds of times
>greater than the tax on an emailed business contract.
>
>If this bit tax thing were attempted, the amount of time people spend
>online would be determined entirely by their income; if you can't afford

"Yeah, my tax guy really saved me a lot last year...he knows some really
great data compression algorithms."


--Tim May

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist         | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."