The government knows that you own a motorbike, you can't go around with an unregistered vehicle, you have to sign documents that prove the transfer of ownership, you also have to pay insurance on it, it's mandatory where I live in Europe.

It makes sense: if I buy a motorbike from you using cash and nobody knows about it, when I am going to rob a bank with it, the police would come knocking at your door. Would you like that just to let me use cash instead of any other system available because we are normal people that live in societies not in a lawless imaginary city in a western movie (west was not lawless, properties where already registered 4 thousands years ago by Egyptians, it's nothing new)

Simpler yet, if the police stops you and there isn't your name on the certificate of ownership , you have to justify why is that.

Again, it makes complete sense. It could have been stolen and you could be the thief.

A washing machine costs 250 euros, you can pay it in cash.

The limit is 10k, it's 40 washing machines.

The washing machine comes with a warranty, warranty is valid only if you put your name on it.

Only a fool would renounce to 2 years warranty to pay cash and not let the government know that they do laundry, like literally everybody else, I'm quite sure the government doesn't care if you own a washing machine, but then again I live in Europe, probably the CIA does and it's a big deal there.

I really don't understand how people feel comfortable going around with thousands of euros in cash in their pockets to buy stuff that they could have comfortably and safely bought from their couch using a free and immediate bank transfer that guarantees both parties against fraud, and theft and that have no handling costs.

American paranoia about government will be the worst heritage of these last two decades.

But probably even worse is the idea that your freedom means I have to pay the price for it.

Wanna pay a house or a car in cash, without any record of the transaction?

Go buy it from a criminal, because I am not selling it to you. Nobody would. Unless they are being paid to accept all that cash in one transaction.