Selling for Cash

The American Revolution was all about taxation. The War of 1812 was also all about taxation. Jean Laffite was on the side of ordinary consumers, as he offered bargain prices. People went to his yard sales to buy goods at a price below that which was paid in the stores. Some of the goods had been looted from enemy British ships, that is true, and some of the merchandise had been smuggled in, despite the Embargo Act, and none of it paid proper duties to the local authorities, and this angered other merchants who did deal with the enemy, despite the Embargo Act, and offered similar goods for a much higher price. And to add insult to injury, the Laffites sold their goods for cash!

From Page 321 of  Theodosia and the Pirates: The Battle Aganst Britain

Jean Laffite sold things for cash. Some merchants complained that this was not fair. He was depleting the specie supply! But what were they really complaining about? Established merchants do not want competition from people who do not have their overhead.

Today, brick and mortar stores have been fighting sales on the internet. In my state, I can no longer be an Amazon associate because of the taxation laws that have been passed. And in some states, the government has moved to outlaw cash sales outside a regular store. Who benefits? Not the consumer.

In Louisiana, it is now illegal to buy and sell things for cash at a yard sale.

https://mises.org/blog/forcing-cajuns-go-cashless

Supposedly, this is meant to prevent the sale of stolen goods. But everyone knows that it's all about the sales tax that big stores have to collect from the customer, and that small individual sellers have been evading so far.

When cash is outlawed, only outlaws will use cash! What is deeply ironic is that today cash is just worthless paper money. What on earth is preventing the people of Louisiana from going back to the gold standard?