[whazzmaster]

In today's deficit boogeyman environment I can't say that extra revenue isn't a consideration, but really the tax was to attempt to stem a runaway financial system that has become the blood-sucking vampire squid[1] that's taking more and more of the wealth while providing little of value to the country.

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/andrew-clark-on-america/2...

[crusso]

Like the article points out, the inefficiencies of the market are being removed exactly because of these so called "vampire squid". Maybe we should call them "cleaner shrimp" instead, since they're performing a useful function?

Don't get me wrong, I tried my hand at some day trading a couple of years back and the HFTs helped to make it hard going. That was the problem with the business model I wanted to pursue at the time, though, not with the market itself.