This is a story about corporate citizenship and our tax codes. Warning: Reading this could make your head hurt. Writing it is, I admit it, no fun, either. Few things are more mind-numbing than a discussion of mega-merger/acquisition deals and their effects on corporate tax rates, shareholder equity and consumer prices. I realize that.

But discuss we must!

Mergers and acquisitions have been a part of the business world since, well, the start of the business world. And, by and large, they have been a good thing.