The worst tax of all (in peace-time)is the tax imposed by a government that tries to direct the economic activities of individuals. It is a shame that the Russians and Chinese have wasted so much time and resources in trying to operate as they have, but now they seem to have recognized that it was a mistake.
There are in fact any number of completely tax-free perks in the United States.
For example, you make friends with people who are really good cooks. Also, where I live, people actually throw out firewood sometimes, leaving it in neat stacks on the curb for the trash truck. Someone invites you for a few days to a vacation place at the beach. Someone gave us a sleeper sofa that had cost over $1,000, because it reminded her of her ex-husband. I do all my own plumbing and electrical work. My job allows me over four months of paid vacation a year during which time my medical insurance is paid and I have access to both a spacious office and a library study for whatever purposes I choose. Even while "working" I am only obligated to be in a certain place for a few hours a week. I work hard at times, but on what I want to do. People make me gifts all the time of excess plants from their yards and gardens. In the summer I grow a lot of vegetables.
There is no way that anyone can collect one cent of taxes on any of this--and a person who was even more enterprising about bartering goods or labor could (with some illegality) easily obtain much more of the same avoiding the almost fifty percent that goes into taxes if you collect a salary and spend it--federal (at least 28%), state (7% or more), social security (some 15% with employer contribution), and 6% sales tax: total 56%.
As best I can tell a lot of people live in these enormous houses mainly just to prove that they can do so. Sometimes there are only couples, or even just single persons, in five-bedroom houses. And they don't even do much entertaining. I wonder what they do--just sit on a different toilet each day of the week? I guess that would be fun.
Perhaps the Asian countries will figure a way to genuinely enrich themselves with their own labor and intelligence rather than trying to supply more and more cheap goods to a country where one of the more important economic activities is the circulation of needless junk by yard and garage sales.
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