At least that way your money isn't going directly to the feudal overlords of the technology serfs. Of course, it's still dependent on those serfs to build it the first time.. Maybe Apple will start charging a premium for gear built only in humane conditions. From what I've heard, the money they save per iPad amounts to $65. I'm sure I'd pay that extra just so I didn't feel like I was killing people for my toy.

I'm for the idea. I'm just against using the idea as a way to distract people from the problems that we have on Earth, specifically in the US, that would otherwise require a painful change of ideologies for many conservatives to actually address. Gingrich is shouting "Hey! Look at the moon!" is a way to distract you so you hopefully won't notice the hand that continues to take from your wallet. I.e. as Dave Chappelle put it: "Mars, bitches!"

Making lobbying illegal will actually go a long way towards solving our current problems. That, and real campaign finance reform, so candidates don't have to spend all their time sucking up to corporations and billionaires in order to return to office.

But which hole is still an important choice. Also, whether or not the rapist will at least offer you healthcare, or tell you to depend on the Free Market to fix the damage.

I forgot to mention, also being brown and/or young and lower-middle-class, and thus being less likely to have access to a lawyer and make a stink about it.

Oh, being some sort of Muslim or actually trying to change US policy in some way is usually a good start.

OMG, the hours of life that I lost to this so-called game before I dumped it cold turkey. Crack is less addictive.

It doesn't do *crap* for the main alleged purpose of the stock market - investing in worthwhile companies and business ventures as opposed to less worthwhile ones. Basically microtrading is just a way to shave money off of **everyone else's** trades and pocket the difference. Making money by taking it from other people trading, and NOT because you've made a wise investment in a good company.

OF COURSE it results in instability. It takes the irrationality of people's emotions that's already a play in the market, and then it does more emotionally-charged guessing based on that. It's instability squared.

One of the best ways to discourage it would be for the US to just start charging a fee for every chunk of shares traded that's more than, say, 1000. Something like $.50 . That could cut down the profits, AND help pay for some programs to dig us out of the whole Wall St. put us in back in 2008. Maybe even some enforcement for the SEC (imagine that?)

And it certainly does for tax purposes.

Yeah, the rest of the US was just holding California back.