From: John Clark (jonkc@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Mon Jan 29 2001 - 13:47:42 MST
Robin Hanson <rhanson@gmu.edu> Wrote:
> Do only relatively dumb and docile humans get taxed now?
Only scared humans get taxed now, those who figure they'll get punished if they don't.
I don't see why a AI would think it had anything to fear from human law.
>Can corporations avoid taxes by being non-localized?
I don't know, I've never heard of such a thing. With the possible exception of
the Mafia, you can always point to a person or a asset and say "that is part
of the corporation".
>A guy could hide in the woods after all, and then how would you tax him?
You couldn't tax him, and some people do hide in the woods for just that reason.
> If a world has many AIs, some of them will be available to devise
> and enforce taxes, if the powers that be then want taxes devised
> and enforced.
Yes that might work, if the tax collecting AI's were the smartest on the planet,
but then the powers that be would not be human.
John K Clark jonkc@att.net
If AIs sell their services in public markets, then
> sales taxes could be used. If they own visible property, then
> property taxes could be used.
>
> Of course if the powers that be don't want AIs to be taxed, they
> may not be taxed. But that is a question of desire, not ability.
>
> Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
> Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
> MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
> 703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
>
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