hello. the article is about inaction preventing any return from a form of new global junk bond salesman setting up on the periphery of existing laws. i do not agree more laws are needed. i agree with posters: that you can not have regulators playing footsie with Wall Streeters. laws not being enforced is the big problem; and if my inference about new laws was incorrect: i wholeheartedly agree -no action has been taken to enforce the laws we have. this administration (missing in action) ran home to momma, and being involved in this mess; now must begin doing the right thing. ...it does not take advice, it does not take counseling, it does not take an opinion poll to determine what is the right thing. either you can do the job, or step aside.

I find it laughable that some people think that we have
had a free market and that our woes are free market
woes. What a joke. We haven’t for nearly a century. We
have oligarchy and corporatocracy. Before we blame our
woes on capitalism we might do well to at least give it
a bit of a try first.

“A larger explanation, I am afraid, is the grip Wall Street has over the American political process. The Street is where the money is and money buys campaign commercials on television. Wall Street firms and executives have been uniquely generous to both parties, emerging as one of the largest benefactors of the Democrats. Between November 2008 and November 2009, Wall Street doled out $42m to lawmakers, mostly to members of the House and Senate banking committees and House and Senate leaders. In the first three quarters of 2009, the industry spent $344m on lobbying – making the Street one of the major powerhouses in the nation’s capital.”
  Since this statement comes from Robert Reich, perhaps it deserves critics’ sustained attention:
Notifications widely propagated beforehand that voters in large numbers plan to vote for all candidates who DO NOT ACCEPT corporate contributions, regardless, might shake things up and get results.  Unpredictable, of course, but predictable results might be a worse option. ???

Doc Bob was correct in the Clinton era and correct again today.  The Chinese are correctly adjusting their approach to “communism” by giving it a capitalist spin.  Why not learn from their lead and put some reasonable limits on what is obviously runaway capitalism. 
  There are lots of “-ism” purists in the landfill of history.  By contrast, practicality is what survives.  Nixon may turn out to be the most “progressive” President in history.  Anybody remember the 70’s Wage And Price Controls, Guaranteed Minimum Income, Earned Income Credit, National Health Care ?  <== All Nixon proposals.

What can one say to a man, Bob Reich, who still deludes himself that a capitalist controlled govt. can actually do the right thing?

Get this socially IQ challenged people and article author.  Obama does not want to listen to Reich.  He did his about-face and chose his cabinet for good reasons, and those reasons are well calculated and not due to stupidity.  What you see is what you get.  Wake up to reality!  Live with it and react to it.  Stop making shit up!

Does anyone really expect Obama or any of the suits currently in Congress to really take on Wall Street? Wall Street pretty much runs the country.

Time to trade in the tweezers for a jack hammer or two….I have some more advice for President Obama…

analysis is paralysis…