By William K. Black, professor of law and economics The systemically dangerous institutions (SDIs) are inaccurately called "too big to fail" banks. The administration calls them "systemically important," and acts as if they deserve a gold star. The ugly truth, however, is what Wall Street and each administration screams when the SDIs get in trouble. They warn us that if a single SDI fails it will cause a global financial crisis. There are roughly 20 U.S. SDIs and about the same number abroad. That means that we roll the dice 40 times a day to see which SDI will blow up next and drag the world economy into crisis. Economists agree that the SDIs are so large that they are grotesquely inefficient. In "good times," therefore, they harm our economy. It is insane not to shrink the SDIs to the point that they no longer hold the global economy hostage. The ability -- and willingness -- of the CEOs that control SDIs to hold our economy hostage makes the SDIs too big to regulate and prosecute. It also allows them to extort, dominate, and degrade our democracies. The SDIs pose a clear and present danger to the U.S. and the world. The rest of the article is at http://neweconomicperspectives.blogspot.com/2011/10/suggested-theme-for-occu...