[lentulusgracchus]

Many things are untaxed [under the so-called "Fair Tax" proposal] such as used items. In addition, if the money were used by a business for normal busines expenses, those are also not taxed.

Ah, but how long before the 'Rats start screaming about "closing the loopholes"?

And if new goods are taxed, and used ones are not, won't the marketplace bid up used goods? So that the tax has an effect on raising the expense of used goods.

My "choice" is really Hobson's choice. Saying that I can always refrain from paying the sales tax by refraining from buying goods and services isn't really a "choice" that rises to the level of "freedom", any more than it would be descriptive of my "choice" to stop breathing, to call my use of oxygen "voluntary" and my refusal to breathe "freedom", for the purposes of taxation.

[pigdog]

Breathing and oxygen use are involuntary. Consumption is not (except for a few people, it seems - and perhaps you're one of those).

Consumption and the timing and type thereof are VOLUNTARY.

As for used goods, the market itself will level out that particular playing field.