Honor among thieves?
I figured this thread was about our government.
In a way, it is. Note that if we trade my gadget for your widget, even up, that's considered "barter" and income.
Neither of us has gained, in that we valued the things we traded equally (set by the terms of the deal), and our wealth has not increased.
If I trade $2000 in fun tickets for a 1 ounce gold Buffalo coin (face value $50) can I claim a $1950 dollar loss on the deal?