However, I would make the point that one alledged benefit of capitalism is the efficient allocation of capital. If capital is increasingly concentrated in fewer entities then the decisions regarding capital allocation are more centralized. What is the effect of this? Can wealth be too concentrated?

This raises the issue of government regulation. In light of current events, we ask can hedge funds be too big to fail? If so, must they be regulated? Regulation requires some degree of transparency. Can a hedge fund be regulated?

damn, now my head hurts …

I agree with you on the tax code. I once favored a sales tax only for simplifying things. It would take a ton of people off the rolls saving countless person-hours of compliance. It would also encourage savings over spending. I wouldn’t miss it myself and it would give me back the one weekend per year I waste trying to get some of my own cash back. I doubt that will ever happen though. BTW I’m a Canadian so it doesn’t cost me anything to comply with US tax code. Because we are so close to you that is why many of my posts appear to be speaking from a US perspective but I’m just looking over the fence and of course the net has opened borders now more so than ever.

that, though, to me, needs to be coupled w/ this: “the scales will balance in the end.”

and, to balance the scales, we need our Heart, and our Mind, to be engaged..

but, you’re right, we each need to be the change we care to see. no ballot, no bullet, no bollocks, can delivery it for you.

WP doesn’t like those ‘less than’/'greater than’ signs..

“Last time I did the math I think it worked out to about 70 billion a year to keep every child in the world from starving to death.”

care to guess the cost, on our Economy, for complying with a Tax Code of >50 000 paginas?

A. 70 000 Million

Then you clearly have no understanding of human nature do you?

Last time I did the math I think it worked out to about 70 billion a year to keep every child in the world from starving to death. That’s not a lot of money. A fraction of a percent of ‘western’ world income. Mere pocket change and a lot less than people spend on their ‘toys’. This whole mess isn’t a tax issue or a money issue. It is an issue of the heart. Until that gets fixed, it doesn’t matter how much or little money you give to or take from your fellow man, it won’t ever be enough

That’s all right with me though. I know the scales will balance in the end. So I’ll just worry about what I can do to fix the problem and pray for those who can but refuse to

Peace to you

ya know, you might want to SWAG a NPV of the negative annuity you’ve been puking into the ‘tax man’’s many pails..

or, IOW, forget the starting point, it’s a the ‘tax man’ greasing the slope of your upward climb..

LSS: if one actually received, by the time it got to the table, 4/4 of the sandwich they ordered–I’d be betting we’d be witnessing a whole lot more ’sharing’ going on. as it is, now, we see ’shearing’–with the justification: “Hey, somebody’s got to pay the (tax) bills”

while you’re in SWAG-mode, take a guess as to how many ‘correct’ answers there are to your 1040 exercise..don’t worry, though, even the IRS can’t tell you..

In fact our whole notion of succes is screwed up.

Life is not fair and I’m sick and tired of people saying that people with billions “deserve” their billions when their contribution to the well being of society is questionable.