If the government imposed a small tax on stock purchases and other financial transactions, with the tax level rising according to the number of intermediaries a

If the government imposed a small tax on stock purchases and other financial transactions, with the tax level rising according to the number of intermediaries and the amount of leverage, then working in an organization through which lots of money passes would not be such a lucrative career. (And if it remained lucrative, at least the government would be able to participate in the bounty that comes from skimming a few parts-per-thousand off the top of a very large cash flow.)