Scat - agreed. Total government spending (Federal, State and Local) as a percent of the overall economy is somewhere around 49% of GDP. Complete insanity. It's basically communism-light.
Eurusd - agreed. The tax code, excessive regulation and unions basically drove multinationals offshore, and with that, our tax base. The endless regulation has to go. It's just another major compliance cost. I'm no expert on labor law, but protections against the termination of striking workers (private and public) is THE major factor to out-of-control union compensation. FDR was totally against public sector unionization for that reason. The whole system has grown totally out of control, and I think it's way beyond the point of no return. The only thing that will bring us back to reality is the spiraling national debt, and ultimately, painful market discipline.