Rich Wall Street 1%'er Screws Us Again

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

I hope that my sons and eventually my grandchildren experience a society that is less and less about what they own and more and more about what they are doing with their life. We are still in a society where the greatest measure of success is how much money people make. This emphasis on material wealth skews priorities and IMHO results in greater inequalities in the availability of goods and services that should be available to all - health care, for example.

Regards,

D-Ray

Ain't gonna happen, Don (at least on a societal level). These values come from within the person. Greed is at least as pervasive as altruism in the human species.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Ain't gonna happen, Don (at least on a societal level). These values come from within the person. Greed is at least as pervasive as altruism in the human species.

Idealism doesn't have to end after we pass our fiftieth birthday.

Actually, my best hope has to be that we planted the seed for those values in our sons, and that the seed will be passed on to future generations of this clan.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Twodogs

I think that happens more than either of us knows. The big difference is, I think the government will turn into (like it hasn't already) the same kind of huge entity. I think it is "We the People" who have to get ourselves out of this mess. The problem with that though, is the majority of Americans just don't give two shits. As long as they have the "Pay Less, Live Better" Wal Mart down the road, and a job that allows them to afford a 1200 dollar TV, they are happy as hogs in chit. Don't think for a second that I think the Republican Party of politics has the answers, I don't. I'm a self educated, common sense type of thinker, and socialism has sucked every time it has been tried. I'm genuinely worried about America, and believe that her best hope is to be able to compete with the rest of the world. That means de-regulation, etc......... If I had a son, I'd rather leave him a little dirtier air, than speaking Chinese, ya know? I truly believe with all my heart that organisations like the EPA are as corrupt as the day is long. It's just one more way the government can pick the winners and losers, thus turning the thumb screws at will. That's not the kind of Freedom our for-fathers had in mind is it?

The whole point is America isn't supposed to compete with the rest of the world. We're working on "sustainable living"...a pipe dream if I ever saw one.

The seventh billion living human being has just popped out of the hatch, or so the media tells me.

We're breeding like rats, or at least the poor and ignorant are breeding like rats. The more intelligent folks are trying to contain themselves, and they've done it to the point that they don't produce enough offspring to carry themselves into old age.

So get ready folks. The human population of the earth, much like water, will seek it's own level.

Just be honest with yourself and admit that you're in it for Number One.

Myself, whenever it all goes to shit...I hope they kill me first. I don't want to deal with it.

Chas

[Charles]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Ain't gonna happen, Don (at least on a societal level). These values come from within the person. Greed is at least as pervasive as altruism in the human species.

By God Finn, I reckon you'd pass fer an ignert hillbilly.

You can see that you get wet in the rain.

And after awhile, even the dumbest sumbitch figgers out that he's the only one playin' by the rules.

Chas

[Twodogs]

Originally Posted by Charles

The whole point is America isn't supposed to compete with the rest of the world. We're working on "sustainable living"...a pipe dream if I ever saw one.

The seventh billion living human being has just popped out of the hatch, or so the media tells me.

We're breeding like rats, or at least the poor and ignorant are breeding like rats. The more intelligent folks are trying to contain themselves, and they've done it to the point that they don't produce enough offspring to carry themselves into old age.

So get ready folks. The human population of the earth, much like water, will seek it's own level.

Just be honest with yourself and admit that you're in it for Number One.

Myself, whenever it all goes to shit...I hope they kill me first. I don't want to deal with it.

Chas

I'd like to be one of the last survivors, along with my good dog. Sort of like Road Warriors, or Water World. Sure would be a hell of a thing to "see".

[merrylander]

Hell even Will Rogers said "We have the best government money can buy."

By all means eliminate the EPA - Love Canal anyone.

[whell]

Hmmm....now to pull this thread back on topic....

From this morning's news:

"MF Global Holdings Ltd. collapsed into bankruptcy Monday when a potential buyer bolted over a discrepancy of hundreds of millions of dollars in the beleaguered securities firm's books, people familiar with the matter said.

U.S. regulators are investigating the discrepancy, which relates to money from customers that couldn't be accounted for as MF Global raced to sell itself, according to people with knowledge of the probe. The probe is at an early stage, and it isn't clear if the money is missing or if the inconsistencies relate to sloppy bookkeeping."

It gets curiouser and curiouser....

[whell]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

The narrative on the merits must really be going bad to spend all of this energy finding individual Democrats to hold up for scorn. I don't know the underlying facts, but if Corzine's MF company () screwed up, it screwed up. Golden parachutes are no more attractive on Democrats than Republicans. As far as I know, Bill Gates is a Democrat, but that doesn't mean that I like his monopolistic practices. BTW, wasn't it a democratic administration that pursued the antitrust claims against Gates?

Actually, it was front page news in the WSJ. Not hard to fine. As far as Microsoft, at the time of their anti-trust suit they were not a company that spent much time in Washington spreading money around, and their competitors were. The anti-trust suit was a great tool to get Microsoft in the lobbying game. But it is a great example of how a firm must be cognizant of how competitors can use the government to attack a business when the competitors business model can't.

Originally Posted by d-ray657

One of the issues that has been highlighted by the OWS demonstrations is the cozy relationship between money and the political establishment - which can include both Democrats and Republicans. I am inclined, however, to believe that the GOP is unlikely to ever initiate lobbying reforms. On the other hand, the activism we are seeing might push the Democratic establishment, even if kicking and screaming, into some meaningful lobbying reform.

Regards,

D-Ray

Well, the Dems have had lost of time to roll out lobbying reforms, and it sure hasn't happened yet. OTOH, wasn't the last attempt at campaign finance reform - McCain Fiengold - passed under the Bush administration and upheld by a conservative Supreme Court?

Further, if our government is so corruptible, why then do your OWS friends want the government to come in and "fix" Wall Street?

[merrylander]

Lobbying can't be reformed, about all we can do is outlaw it.

[whell]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Lobbying can't be reformed, about all we can do is outlaw it.

So, we need to get the politicians - the ones who are direct beneficiaries of the lobbying - to outlaw it? The phrase "snowball's chance..." comes to mind.