Pied Pipers of Prague

One Czech business leader after another is standing up and blowing the horn for major post-crisis reform. If, as in the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the proposed solution to the problems were to lead all the rats out of the city and over the cliff, it would be something to cheer. Instead, the cornerstone of the proposed reforms are higher taxes, which will merely worsen the economic crisis for all and bring the precipice ever closer. Small and midsize businesses risk going over first, because they have fewer resources for finding workarounds and will therefore be disproportionately affected by the higher taxes. By stressing tax increases more than efficient use of existing tax revenue, the Confederation of Industry and others are of course facilitating corruption, esp. if 20% of the extra tax money goes directly to the rats. But almost as importantly, the Pied Pipers of Prague are indirectly promoting a further consolidation of the market into the hands of big business. It's been said that you never want a good crisis to go to waste.