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Was mostly a sarcastic question ;) This pattern can be seen everywhere... 1) politicians regulate an industry with the best intentions 2) industry becomes a

Was mostly a sarcastic question ;) This pattern can be seen everywhere... 1) politicians regulate an industry with the best intentions 2) industry becomes a safe haven for "the big fish" that can pay to play 3) Rinse and repeat for a while, creating bigger and bigger barriers to entry into the marketplace. Politicians are happy, mega banks are happy. 4) Megabank inevitably does something reprehensible 5) politicians slap them with some fines. Fake remorse ensues... 6) go back to step 1

samstave 8y ago
Stop paying taxes.
- djschnei 8y ago
  Well, taxes go towards some stuff I appreciate... plus I would probably be thrown in jail. So not sure that is a solution :p
  - samstave 8y ago
    Conscientious objection to taxation should be a thing though.
    - Analemma_ 8y ago
      It is: it's called "renouncing your citizenship and moving to Somalia". Go ahead! Oh, you meant to say that you want to be able to object to taxation but still freeload on all the benefits. Sorry, no.
      - djschnei 8y ago
        I object to most of the roughly 50% of my income that is taken from me and can't say I've ever been called a freeloader... That's an interesting point of view you have there; "either don't be a US citizen or never complain about tax policy".
        dumbfounder 8y ago
        "Conscientious objection" to taxes means you wouldn't pay taxes, it doesn't mean you just complain about it. You can't do that and stay a US Citizen and not go to jail.
        djschnei 8y ago
        I guess I just don't care enough to ruin my life over it. It's a pretty interesting thing to think about, actually. To think that a bloody revolution was sparked over much less than what we put up with today... It's almost like Stockholm Syndrome.
        s73v3r_ 8y ago
        That revolution was fought because there was no representation in the body that levied the taxes. We do have representation in the body that levies taxes now.
        dumbfounder 8y ago
        Tell that to the people of Washington DC! (No voting congresspeople)
- lsiebert 8y ago
  I recently read that if you live in puerto rico full time for a tax year, you don't have to pay federal income tax, or something like that. Apparently a lot of bitcoin people are considering the move. Move there for a year, sell your bitcoin, move back or something like that?
Bye_Felicia 8y ago
This a good analysis. It sums everything up without the bullshit. The only thing I would correct in your "Financial Corruption Process Map" is the step after #3: . 3.5 "big fish" start buying up politicians and lobbying firms to legalize more and more "bad behavior" 4. Megabank acts legally to do something "reprehensible" since they lobbied to legalize it. 4.5 financial collapse. scandal...then the hand wringing begins by walking corpses in Washington.
- djschnei 8y ago
  I would agree with these additions. This is basically the crony capitalism playbook.

samstave 8y ago

Stop paying taxes.

djschnei 8y ago
Well, taxes go towards some stuff I appreciate... plus I would probably be thrown in jail. So not sure that is a solution :p
- samstave 8y ago
  Conscientious objection to taxation should be a thing though.
  - Analemma_ 8y ago
    It is: it's called "renouncing your citizenship and moving to Somalia". Go ahead! Oh, you meant to say that you want to be able to object to taxation but still freeload on all the benefits. Sorry, no.
    - djschnei 8y ago
      I object to most of the roughly 50% of my income that is taken from me and can't say I've ever been called a freeloader... That's an interesting point of view you have there; "either don't be a US citizen or never complain about tax policy".
      - dumbfounder 8y ago
        "Conscientious objection" to taxes means you wouldn't pay taxes, it doesn't mean you just complain about it. You can't do that and stay a US Citizen and not go to jail.
        djschnei 8y ago
        I guess I just don't care enough to ruin my life over it. It's a pretty interesting thing to think about, actually. To think that a bloody revolution was sparked over much less than what we put up with today... It's almost like Stockholm Syndrome.
        s73v3r_ 8y ago
        That revolution was fought because there was no representation in the body that levied the taxes. We do have representation in the body that levies taxes now.
        dumbfounder 8y ago
        Tell that to the people of Washington DC! (No voting congresspeople)
lsiebert 8y ago
I recently read that if you live in puerto rico full time for a tax year, you don't have to pay federal income tax, or something like that. Apparently a lot of bitcoin people are considering the move. Move there for a year, sell your bitcoin, move back or something like that?

Bye_Felicia 8y ago

This a good analysis. It sums everything up without the bullshit. The only thing I would correct in your "Financial Corruption Process Map" is the step after #3: . 3.5 "big fish" start buying up politicians and lobbying firms to legalize more and more "bad behavior" 4. Megabank acts legally to do something "reprehensible" since they lobbied to legalize it. 4.5 financial collapse. scandal...then the hand wringing begins by walking corpses in Washington.

djschnei 8y ago
I would agree with these additions. This is basically the crony capitalism playbook.