Excellent points all of them, especially the one likening trading to sports. No one feels bad for the losing team enough to not play the game. It's just accepted as part of the game.

Loved the vid as well, at least the theory of what Gates is attempting to set in motion. However I remain skeptical as to the construct of the cloaked underbelly of large corporations. Let me give you a scenario and tell me what you think.

Corporation A has two basic goals in the forefront of its business plan. Listed by priority they are 1. To target a market and capitalize. 2. To maintain a positive public image ( as having this is in direct correlation to achieving goal 1).

After much analysis and calculation they come to that there are only two ways to do this given their current resources.

1. Employ an American workforce with an overhead of 500 million to generate 1b. This would ensure that their profit goals are met as well as their public image goals.

2. Outsource the work to a foreign country where men, women, and children would work 16 hour days in a sweat shop setting for only half the overhead generating 2.5b, 500m of which they use to somehow cover up the whole operation and end up with 2b. All of their goals are achieved and they now have managed to generate twice the profit.

Honestly, which one of those plans do you think will be executed in light of the many scandals and debacles seen in america's recent past?

"When a man's only tool is a hammer he treats everything like a nail."
Or more appropriately, When a man only cares about money he treats everything as though it can be bought.

One more question for everyone who is willing to read through this pretty elaborate dialogue.

You mentioned that the internet will help shut down bad operations. I would like to discuss a few different ways this could be possible. Do you mean simply word of mouth? Or are you thinking about more of a reverse credit type deal? Anyway, I myself am enjoying these conversations as I find them intellectually stimulating as well. Question for you Dave, not that you would have time to if you do, but do you play chess at all? Or any activity affording the opportunity to exercise logical thinking regularly. I only ask because it seems you have the ability to organize your thoughts very well.