Bitcoin is a currency, a commodity, property, a bundle of rights, voting system, proto DAC and more. Volatility is good as is speculation. None of this has stopped BTC being used as an exchange for goods and services.

The govt don't tax my use of visa card in this way, I suppose because the Visa card is a pointer to USD

If I Acquire euro's with USD on my visa, or a pre loaded euro Visa card and the euro goes up, and I buy things, does this attract the same tax?

In any event, the complexity of what the IRS propose and the nature of BTC as in you just can't establish who purchased what when means. Even if you could a coin eg zero coin or similar or add on feature will make this impossible from a technical point of view.

In the alternative a tax efficient way to get around this will occur. We with BTC can do things similar to Apple now.

More foundational though, the Govt has lost the right to Tax, this creation in this way or us. The Govt has lost the right to tax per se as it fails to provide sufficient quid pro quo for the Tax burden it imposes. And by Tax, invidious tax as well, eg the evaporation of wealth by massive quantitative easing and by over regulation of individuals in relation to production.

Bitcoin and that tech finally gives us a way to be free of much of Govt and gives an alternative more efficient form of organization. A Government of we, me, us, not them.

The elision of Sovereignty from the state to the individual is what BTC enables, in a way not thought or practically  possible before. We have together proved that not only was no State needed but this could be done and has been done writ large in the balance book and now history. We thrive in tumultuous evolution.

Yes there are issues eg Gox, but there already solutions suggested to that with provable BTC reserves.

If you wish to opt in to taxation do so. If you don't don't. The Govt merely makes marks on paper and hopes by fear, force of arms, state sanctioned violence and misguided or self serving rhetoric they can obtain mass herd compliance, by the example it can make of the few. The Govt do this in the self righteous misconception that they are doing right for themselves and society. The reality is much of Government has slipped into a self serving, unworkable edifice that appears like a parasite killing its host, you, we us. BTC is the first part of the cure.

The US is fast writing itself into irrelevance.

What will a Govt do when BTC is 10, 100 or 1000+ times more than today. What asset class offers this reward. This in it self will break any system that attempts to stem the flow.

Stand by not being counted.