Mbutt. buttault on Monoculture 6597

True, but not everyone has the desire to start there own business. The point is, those that do, at least have the opportunity to try.

Good points. I believe one of the biggest problems is our current system of capital investment via the stock market. It is geared too heavily toward short turn fluctuations and pumping up the share price and does not put the proper emphasis on long term value. Many of the recent corporate scandals can be traced directly to the practice of compensating executives based on how much they raise the share price, not on building a viable long term business with a real positive cash flow.

The current patent system is another problem needing fixing. It was originally created to protect the independent inventor from larger manufacturers stealing their ideas. Unfortunately, it has now become a bludgeon that mega-corps can use to drive smaller compebreastors out of the market. We need to reform the system so patents are harder to obtain. Patent challenges should not place a financial burden on smaller players. Perhaps we need some sort arbitration system, or rules for posting bonds to cover legal fees... something that tips the balance back toward the little guy.

Yes, the trick is to try and strike that balance that allows for sufficient personal freedom and opportunity while also restraining the corrupting influences. There is no magic bullet. Our history is an on-going experiment trying to find that perfect balance.

Careful, you might start a flame ware about taxes.

What the heck, I'll share one of my favorite gripes. Cutting taxes for rich people. The conservative argument is that when you cut taxes for the wealthy it stimulates job creation. Huh? A more progressive tax encourages me to lower my taxable income to push it into a lower bracket. As a small business owner, the best way for me to do this is to invest in my business in a way that is tax deductible, such as hiring more staff or bringing in contractors. A flatter tax removes that incentive. If lowering my taxable income does not lower my tax rate, I have less incentive to invest back into the company.

I suppose you could argue that these wealthy people are investing there tax cuts in the stock market, resulting in more capital for business expansion, but that capital could just as easily be flowing into foreign investments or the off-shoring of jobs. If your goal is to really stimulate small business job creation (the argument Bush keeps using), raising taxes on the six figure income brackets has a better shot at it, IMHO. This would also reverse our current trend of deficit spending, which is something we REALLY need to do.

Trust me, I have plenty of complaints about the current system. I have optimism regarding what the system *could* be, but we need to reverse a bunch of negative trends before we get there. I see recent forces like the Internet and open source playing a positive role in broadening the opportunities available to all citizens... if we can keep the entrenched corporations from hijacking it.

Cheers,

Thad