Comment They will find him...his true position (Score 1) 181
http://www.libertymedia.com/capital-trueposition.aspx
Big corporations put their computers physically close to the stock exchange to have that nanosecond advantage for their automatic buying / selling machines. But that is obviously OK.
And we pay dearly for this proximity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Stock_Exchange
"The right to directly trade shares on the exchange is conferred upon owners of the 1366 "seats". The term comes from the fact that up until the 1870s NYSE members sat in chairs to trade. In 1868, the number of seats was fixed at 533, and this number was increased several times over the years. In 1953, the exchange stopped at 1366 seats. These seats are a sought-after commodity as they confer the ability to directly trade stock on the NYSE. Seat prices have varied widely over the years, generally falling during recessions and rising during economic expansions. The most expensive inflation-adjusted seat was sold in 1929 for $625,000, which, today, would be over six million dollars. In recent times, seats have sold for as high as $4 million in the late 1990s and $1 million in 2001. In 2005, seat prices shot up to $3.25 million as the exchange was set to merge with Archipelago and become a for-profit, publicly traded company. Seat owners received $500,000 cash per seat and 77,000 shares of the newly formed corporation. The NYSE now sells one-year licenses to trade directly on the exchange."
And because this is Slashdot, I feel the need to point out that the above post is sarcasm...
Sarcasm noted. However, seeing that you have been modded up to 5 fills me with fear for the future. The fact that so many people agree with your inclusion of media/press with the other professions you mentioned as one to be regulated is, in fact, breathtaking.
After Fox News won their argument in Florida establishing there was no need for them to report only the truth or facts, I see lots of room for regulation.
What case are you referring to here? And are you advocating government regulation of private media BEYOND existing libel laws? If so, what does that regulation specifically address?
Yes to the first, and a qualified no to the second.
Then I agree. Securities are hard assets and their purchase and sale indeed are not a destructive economic activity as suggested by the parable you proposed. But I think you really knew that, though I may be wrong.
However, the game seems to be to try to make it as close to zero sum as possible...
I know you're trying to give a 30,000ft view of something here, but I'm not sure what. I mean it's natural for people who buy and sell hard assets to try to improve asset value on the sell side and minimize asset value on the buy side. To me that seems like a universal law
You've just illustrated the Parable of the Broken Window.
LOL! Jeez, don't let my clients see this page. Two questions for you:
- Do own any assets/securities which you expect to appreciate in value?
- Do you believe that stock and currency markets are zero-sum?
I'm wondering how day trading, as an activity, benefits society.
As a trader/investor for the past 14 years, I'll give just a brief synopsis for 2009 only:
- US$90,000+ in income taxes
- US$22,000+ capital gains taxes
- US$18,000+ property taxes (two homes)
- US$8,000+ sales taxes
- US$2,500/mo Office expenses
- US$6,500/mo salary/benefits (assistant)
- $600/mo groceries
- $1000/mo meals and entertainment
- $1000/mo Stuff
- $12,000 Travel (Hotels, Airfare, Cabs, tips, etc)
- $8,000 Clothing (Wife too)
- Purchased 2 automobiles
- $3800 charity
That's just the tip of the iceberg, so go suck an egg
What sane person would choose "Chicago" over "Rio de Janiero"? Passport control? Are you kidding me? Chicago is known for being wet, cold, windy, and expensive.
You're must not be from Chicago. Because if you were, you'd know that there's nothing better than a summer day downtown and along the lake front.
Maybe this will be the wakeup call for Chicago, that their culture of bribery is actually costing them business. But I doubt it.
What is causing the absence and flight of business in Chicago is high taxes, unions and democrat governance in general of which bribery and graft are a prominent feature.
Work continues in this area. -- DEC's SPR-Answering-Automaton