[globular-toast]

> Private companies collect basically a tax on almost all transactions in our economy.

Forget transactions, they collect a tax on almost all money in the economy. Something like 97% of money in circulation is simply bank loans (like mortgages) that haven't been paid back yet.

I encourage anyone to walk around a financial district somewhere and really think about what it's all for. On the inside of some of those buildings there might be people, but they aren't doing much. On the inside of many there aren't even any people.

Finance definitely has value, but is it really that much? It's a fraction of what they take.

How they get away with it is the interesting part. There's just something about money. There will always be a very large part of the population who just don't get it. Then there are some who excel with it. It brings out the worst in many and it downright scares the rest. All that's clear is we need to get a grip on it. Bitcoin was the latest attempt.

I can't recommend enough the book Other People's Money by John Kay.