Inherit—This response is a little late but I just got on this thread. Your March 20 comment on how to actually create wealth should be expanded into a required curriculum for high school and college students. We lose so many bright, creative people to investment banking, credit card money shuffling, and otherwise servicing money that not enough people think where the stuff comes from in the first place. Also, making things that are useful or more useful than existing things is the basis for innovation which is the basis for an educated and healthy society. If this financial crisis turns people’s heads in your direction, in the long run it might be well worth the pain.

(My husband and I have been on our own trying to make and sell things the last 25 years and while it hasn’t made us rich or able to retire, it’s been satisfying and often even fun.)

“Now that you’ve established that money is unimportant to you, please explain the moral difference between an AIG thief and the UAW “worker” who gets 90% of his paycheck for doing nothing (per his “contract”).

As for blowing off Gates- tell it to the unnumbered children who won’t be getting malaria this year.

And how about that beacon of progressive hope, Chris Dodd! Oops.

Finally, I’m impressed by your command of street language. It’s always a good fallback tactic when logic and rational discourse fails.”

Logical and rational discourse?? LOL! Who told you that you do that? A prof who gets paid alot of money to teach your ass?

Do you read anything but this?? Dodd is an asshole.(Fox News? Limbaugh? What?) WHO thinks that Dodd is a “progressive”?? Most USAns wouldnt know a progressive or a socialist if it bit them in the ass. Most have never even been outside ‘Merka!

If we would stop paying Wal St (and the military budget and Pentagon) so much , we could give aid and heatlh care to the US, and, maybe the world. We wouldnt need “charity”. It can never cover those that need it and is not what is needed. Responsibility for fellow man is what is needed.. Yes, I wish money didnt exist. If I have a nice place to live and what I need, what do I need with money? It just promotes greed, hatred, and war.

Where is your evidence that Union workers “do nothing”?? you dont know what you are talkng about. I’ll talk any way I like, if TD doesnt mind. None of your business.

Grow up.

rfidler:

“...please explain the moral difference between an AIG thief and the UAW “worker” who gets 90% of his paycheck for doing nothing (per his “contract”).”

I will explain it. The worker uses that SMALL amount of money to support him/herself and most probably a family while trying to figure out another way to live. The AIG thief will use that LARGE amount of money—enough to supportseveral families for a long time—to figure out some way to suck more blood out of more workers.

to KDelphi:

Now that you’ve established that money is unimportant to you, please explain the moral difference between an AIG thief and the UAW “worker” who gets 90% of his paycheck for doing nothing (per his “contract”).

As for blowing off Gates- tell it to the unnumbered children who won’t be getting malaria this year.

And how about that beacon of progressive hope, Chris Dodd! Oops.

Finally, I’m impressed by your command of street language. It’s always a good fallback tactic when logic and rational discourse fails.

Re “Mike Kohr: “The return of practical, proven regulation such as “Glass-Steegal,” to prevent the inevitable error and excess of our financial institutions.”

It’s good to see someone else emphasizing the need for financial regulations and transparency. Our lazy and reckless D.C representatives have been ignoring the obvious far too long. They may not be concerned about habitual meltdowns, bailouts and Wall Street crooks, but we most definitely are.

No one needs, nor deserves, the amount of money being made on Wall St. It is obscene and disgusting.

Further, it is simply not possible for someone to “earn” that type of money. You inherit it, you cheat, steal and lie, and you get lucky. NO one can convince me that these guys work 10,000 times harder than the avg. person.

The folks who REALLy slay me, with their defense of this, are so-called “christians”! What a fucking bunch of hypocrits.

If I evaded taxes, they would re-possess everything I own and auction it—why can we not expect our govt to do the same with these rich fucks? No, thats right, they hire them on…
If I get caught making money selling pot, they will seize everything I own. I would be hurting far fewer people than these guys did, but, I would still be treated like a criminal, and, these guys get bailed out, AND, we “must keep them on to fix the mess that they created”—-what horseshit!
!

@rfidler:
“What you do with the excess millions of dollars is offer people jobs. Do you really think those people just stuff the money in matresses like some Ebenezar Scrooge? Do you think the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would even exist in the tax world you pine for? What other system besides Capitalism could create a Bill Gates?”

Actually, if you have a 90% tax bracket you encourage the rich to give their money away so you’d get MORE charitable donations by the rich.  Of course, I’d also make political donation non-deductible so if you want the deduction, you have to actually do good with your money.

rfidler—

“To KDelphi:
What you do with the excess millions of dollars is offer people jobs. Do you really think those people just stuff the money in matresses like some Ebenezar Scrooge? Do you think the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would even exist in the tax world you pine for? What other system besides Capitalism could create a Bill Gates?”

WHERE do you see “envy”?? I wouldnt be a CEO at AIG for all the money in the world! Neither would any other moral person. NO, they do NOT “create jobs”—that is a capitalist myth….when Bush did all those tax cuts, why wasnt everyone working? It doesnt work—get used to it….I think that they “stuff the money” into Beijing and Israel—where do you think they will find it all—“creating jobs”? You offer no substantive arguments, and, I am NOT envious of these people. They are immoral assholes. I dont care if Bill and Melinda Gates go piss up a rope. Gates could give 99% of his income to charity and still vbe a millionsire. He lost alot in this casino mkt anyway…

The “growth, free mkt” had its day. It failed. Its over. If it is not, then, our country surely is. Perhaps the entire planet.

You sound young enough to be around for the Revolution—why not get on the right side now?

By drklassen, March 22 at 7:32 am #

@KDelphi:  Right on!  We really need to bring back some higher tax rates: a 50% bracket at $2M, 75% at $5M, and 90% at $10.

By KDelphi, March 22 at 2:57 am #

“Capitalism worked extremely well in the three decades after World War II without such radical inequities. It’s when inequalities soar that the system runs into trouble—precisely what happened at the end of the 1920s, when inequality reached levels similar to today’s..”

Do you not SEE that Capitalism IS the problem?? What you complain of, is precisely what capitalism produces! Social and economic inequality and insjustice—always has, always will, in eventuality.

To wildflower:
My apologies to you. See above for two perfect examples of the envy I am talking about.

To KDelphi:
What you do with the excess millions of dollars is offer people jobs. Do you really think those people just stuff the money in matresses like some Ebenezar Scrooge? Do you think the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would even exist in the tax world you pine for? What other system besides Capitalism could create a Bill Gates?

Of course money corrupts. Let’s fight corruption. But poverty debases. Let’s get rid of poverty, not wealth.

To NABNYC:
Progressive radio is a failure because no one will listen to it, so advertisers won’t pay to advertise, so radio stations won’t broadcast it. Re-instituting that Fairness Doctrine will only drive talk radio back to music formats, and neither conservative nor liberal voices will be heard. Who will fund your Progressive media trust fund? NPR was quaking in its boots when the Republicans threatened to defund it. They knew that they couldn’t survive in the marketplace. Your solution of course is to resort to a command economy run by you and likeminded souls telling all the rest of us what color shirts to wear, what kind of food to eat and how much and what kind of work we’re allowed to do. No thanks.

@KDelphi:  Right on!  We really need to bring back some higher tax rates: a 50% bracket at $2M, 75% at $5M, and 90% at $10.

“Capitalism worked extremely well in the three decades after World War II without such radical inequities. It’s when inequalities soar that the system runs into trouble—precisely what happened at the end of the 1920s, when inequality reached levels similar to today’s..”

Do you not SEE that Capitalism IS the problem?? What you complain of, is precisely what capitalism produces! Social and economic inequality and insjustice—always has, always will, in eventuality.

The MSM is full of shit on the “just rich or envious ” part—sure I would like to have more money-(or, things I need that money buys)-but, over $1 million or so—what the hell do you do with it?? WHAT do you buy?? Envious of the guys who ran AIG?? Trump? The BUshes? Hiltons? All the
“Daisies to Gatsbys” of the world?? Not a fricking chance! I would have probably committed suicide as Grassley suggested. YOu know, conscience and all…

The entire world thinks that the US pop. are idiots and, are probably happy to see us fall. Most people know who is to blame, and it is most certainly not the average working class person…I am very tired of hearing it.

There are a few very rich people with yachts, etc, living near where I do now. I have talked to some of them (well, argued might be a better word—I didnt start talking to them for that reason)—they dont seem so fricking happy to me…theyre a bunch of greedy basterds who got “lucky”—that is all. But, it is never enough..and, if the govt keeps giving them money, they will see that it will never be enough—enough money, young women, young boys, big enough yachts, never enough “first class service”—-I wish the ‘Merkin people would grow some balls and rid ourselves of these leeches and welfare kings…it will be extremely difficult , as long as we keep voting them back into office…

rfidler#

“We are divided into two camps- the greedy and the envious. Which camp has built more homes and fed more people throughout history?”

Which ought to feed and house more now greed and envy or compassion and empathy?

Based on my understanding of psychology, through the mechanism of projection, we find in the “world” surrounding us, that which dwells within us. This would suggest to me that perhaps it is you, dear brother, who are divided.

re: NABNYC

Just for the cultural record, it was Claude Rains who was “shocked” that there was gambling taking place, just before he was handed his wining money, in the famous movie Casablanca, which Peter Lorre was also a part of. For a Lorre reference to the present situation, it would be when the Gestapo comes to arrest Lorre, he appeals to Humphrey Bogart as Rick, the cafe’s proprietor, with: “Rick! Rick! Help me!” which Bogie replies: “I stick my neck out for no one.”

Re rfidler: “Every one of you is focused entirely on revenge and envy. Pathetic.”

My post simply reports that Jim Wallis says that President Obama’s budget has passed a “values audit” among America’s religious communities.  Exactly which part of this “values audit” discussion focuses on revenge and envy?

“. . . America’s religious communities are required to ask of any budget: what happens to the poor and most vulnerable, especially what becomes of the nation’s poorest children in these critical decisions?

. . . The values of the American people should also be applied to the budget, e.g. fairness (everyone paying their fair share); opportunity for all Americans; fiscal, personal, and social responsibility; balancing important and different priorities; defining security more broadly than just military considerations - related to economic and family security too; compassion and protection for the vulnerable; building community; and upholding the common good. . . .

The new budget proposed by the White House is a dramatic step in the direction of the common good, with strong support for the middle of America, real help for the poorest among us, and the proposition that the wealthiest pay their fare share. And my prediction is that many in the faith community, especially those on the front lines of serving the poor, will rally around the principles and priorities of this budget, bringing their energy and advocacy to bear on the debate that now lies ahead. Because this will not just be a policy debate, but also a moral one; the prayers of the faithful—along with their watchful eyes, willing hands, and ready feet—will surround the Congressional budget process over the next few months.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/our-moral- audit-of-the-bu_b_171182.html

Congress has taken so much money from the financial cartels that ultimately they are unable and unwilling to stand against them.  If the truth comes out, it will show our politicians taking enormous amounts of money in exchange for looking the other way while the plundering of our nation took place.  Now, as Naomi Klein has documented in Shock Doctrine, we need to take a deep breath and prepare for the offshore money to move in, take over everything, and finally end our little experiment in democracy. 

How best to fight back?  Not by watching the self-abosorbed people in Congress do their Peter Lorre bit (“I’m shocked, shocked to find out there is corruption on Wall Street”).  We need a strong progressive media as our informational and organizational center or we are sunk.

We need a progressive media alliance and trust.

Why do progressives tell working people that they must have a union, they must organize and act together as a group because when they’re on their own, they have no power? Yet the progressive media is largely separated and acting as individuals, and seem confused why they have no power on their own. The answer is the same thing: we need to get organized.

For example, we need progressive radio, yet it has been relatively unsuccessful apparently following the traditional model of relying mostly on advertising. But we need people like Peter Werbe, Mike Malloy (who’s trying to go it on his own for now), Randi Rhodes, and I’m sure many others. As for blogs and investigate research, there is common dreams, truthout, Danny Schechter’s group, truthdig, the Nation, Z magazine.

There should be a progressive media trust fund. A board which consists of progressives from the community level as well as maybe a couple of well-known names. Members of the progressive media alliance would be established at the beginning with a certain number of magazines, radio, blogs, movie makers, documentary filmmakers, maybe book writers. Each member would be required to devote time to public fundraising activities (like Habitat) and would be entitled to receive a share from the trust fund.

Local chapters would be formed and hold monthly get-togethers which could be something as simple as a discussion group with a $5 fee per meeting (read some article from the Nation, discuss), could be cultural such as poetry, readings of new writing, could be music, could be food, drink, and half the profit would go to the local chapter, half to the national trust fund.

The local groups would serve two purposes: (1) organize locally to develop local forums for progressive voices as well as just something to do with other progressives, and (2) commit to funding progressive media which is in danger of being destroyed.

I also think we could get Move-On to set up a move-on progressive media group. They could raise millions with one e-mail, if we did it right. I would suggest one written statement to be carried by everyone on their own web-page. 

Everyone is excited and hopeful about Obama being our president, but I see the right re-organizing, re-grouping, beginning their counter-assaults. I think they’re poised for the final attack. We need to get ready to fight back.
http://NABNYC.blogspot.com

rfidler,

There are only two wealth creators:

1) Nature
2) Work

Now sometimes work means thinking up more efficient ways to work, like, say, email rather than snail mail, or more creative ways to use natural resources, like say silicon chips, or photo cells.

Everything else is wealth transfer of some kind, which can be benign, like a gift, or a way to ensure work, like wages, a game of some kind, like gambling, or theft, like cheating stealing, waging war for plunder, etc.

These losers are experts at gambling with the wealth they stole. Period.

Get a job.

re: Mike Kohr

Thanks for posting the link to NY Times article. Reading it, reminds me of that statement: “the only thing that never changes is the avant garde thearte”.

“Of all the comments generated so far by this piece, not one- not one- offers a better way to create wealth. Every one of you is focused entirely on revenge and envy. Pathetic.”
************************************************

Sure there is. Lots of ways.

You don’t create wealth by buying up loans with borrowed money, bundling them and then selling the bundle off to someone else.

You don’t create wealth by conning people into taking mortgages they don’t understand and are beyond their means.

You don’t create wealth by finding ways to foreclose on people’s homes.

You don’t create wealth by inventing new and faster ways to add surcharges to a credit card bill.

All of these are merely means to TRANSFER wealth, not actually create it, because there’s nothing of value behind it.

* * * * * *

Invent something useful, make it, and sell it.

Improve something so it is better than it was, make it and sell it.

Find a way to make the same thing, only cheaper, make it and sell it.

Find somebody with one of the three above ideas who need money to make it happen, marry your money to his/her idea, and roll up your sleeves and work together to make it happen.

Make a commodity everybody needs and sell it.

THAT IS HOW YOU CREATE WEALTH!  Before you can lend it, borrow it, debenture it, “derivative” it, you have create something that is of value to somebody else—either a good or a service.  Think of it the two ends of the barbell—one company makes dry-cleaning equipment, the other company uses it to dry-clean your clothes—both have real value.

Or…One makes the sewing machine, one makes the cloth, one buys the machine and cloth and makes an article of clothing.  Then a dress shop or haberdashery finds and fits just the right piece of clothing to the wearer.  EVERYONE ALONG THE WAY CREATES VALUE!  That is how wealth is created, that and only that.

Those dollars in your pocket or in the bank ONLY have value for the things of value you can buy with them—they are PROMISSORY NOTES! Present them and get something of value.  Making more promissory notes without making the things of value is phony wealth.

And phony wealth brought everything down.

Even the bank who lends each of producers a revolving credit line is creating value—-until he sells that loan to be bundled and re-sold again and again.

AIG once sold a valuable service: Insurance against risk.  It sank because it got into high stakes gambling with money it had to borrow using, as principle, something that was grossly over-valued many times over.

This is not how you create wealth.

-Breaking News- AIG is suing Our Government for return of taxes paid last year

-clipped-
A.I.G. Sues U.S. for Return of $306 Million in Tax Payments
While the American International Group comes under fire from Congress over executive bonuses, it is quietly fighting the federal government for the return of $306 million in tax payments, some related to deals that were conducted through offshore tax havens.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/business/20aig.html?_...

By rfidler, March 20 at 9:58 am #

Of all the comments generated so far by this piece, not one- not one- offers a better way to create wealth. Every one of you is focused entirely on revenge and envy. Pathetic.

Not one? Really?  Here the proven ways in my piece alone:
1). The revitalization of the Organized labor movement that raises the wages of working people,  the foundation of a strong economy.
2). The return of practical, proven regulation such as “Glass-Steegal,” to prevent the inevitable error and excess of our financial institutions.
3). Reform of our tax code to reign in the insider system that rewards wealth instead of work,  position instead of productivity.

Of all the comments generated so far by this piece, not one- not one- offers a better way to create wealth. Every one of you is focused entirely on revenge and envy. Pathetic.

How ironic,  and how predictable has been the opposition to taxing at 90% the bonus’ of those like paid out at AIG.  And that opposition coming from the same Republican crowd that clammored so indignitly for the restructering of union contracts at the automakers.

In defense of the great parasite class in America, Republicans continue their class warfare against organized labor that built the great middle class and propelled America to become the greatest power and nation on Earth.  As organized labor has waned in influence and scope the wages of working American has declined.

During the years 2000-2008, the wages of working Americans declined for the first time in 60 years.  Ignore for a moment the greed and criminality of the banking, and financial institutions, put aside the naïve that bought into, and the craven politicians that pushed the de-regulation movement, and are the principle actors in our current economic nightmare.  Had the wages of working people kept pace with the last 60 years the spending of the working class would have kept us out of this mess.

The filthy rich must look at taxes as “revolution insurance.” Left unfettered our business class will produce the same situation that resulted in the French Revolution.  And then they would lose not just their bottom-less bankrolls but their heads as well.  Just this last week their have been calls for the lives of the corporate pigs at AIG.

Representative Charles Grassley ® IA, said those that are receiving bonus’ at AIG should resign or follow the Japanese code of honor and commit suicide. Appearing before Congress,  CEO Liddy of AIG, read death threats his office had been receiving including one that called for officers of AIG to be put to death with nooses made of piano wire.

What a waste of piano wire.

mike kohr

I think we really do need to fix the tax system.
Create tax bracket for those who are given obscene compensation.  Make a 50% bracket at $2M, 75% at $5M, and 90% at $10M.

Re E.J. Dionne: “Now I am not against people getting rich or entrepreneurs reaping profit from their investments of time and energy. But there is no moral or practical justification for such levels of inequality. Capitalism worked extremely well in the three decades after World War II without such radical inequities. It’s when inequalities soar that the system runs into trouble—precisely what happened at the end of the 1920s, when inequality reached levels similar to today’s.”

I note that President Obama’s budget has passed a “values audit” among America’s religious communities. Jim Wallis on Huffington writes:

“. . . America’s religious communities are required to ask of any budget: what happens to the poor and most vulnerable, especially what becomes of the nation’s poorest children in these critical decisions?

. . . The values of the American people should also be applied to the budget, e.g. fairness (everyone paying their fair share); opportunity for all Americans; fiscal, personal, and social responsibility; balancing important and different priorities; defining security more broadly than just military considerations - related to economic and family security too; compassion and protection for the vulnerable; building community; and upholding the common good. . . .

The new budget proposed by the White House is a dramatic step in the direction of the common good, with strong support for the middle of America, real help for the poorest among us, and the proposition that the wealthiest pay their fare share. And my prediction is that many in the faith community, especially those on the front lines of serving the poor, will rally around the principles and priorities of this budget, bringing their energy and advocacy to bear on the debate that now lies ahead. Because this will not just be a policy debate, but also a moral one; the prayers of the faithful—along with their watchful eyes, willing hands, and ready feet—will surround the Congressional budget process over the next few months.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/our-moral-audit-of-the-bu_b_171182.html

“[The Obama administration] seems to see the public’s outrage primarily as a distraction.”

It is a distraction. Not that it isn’t justified, of course, but no one on this site seems to notice that all this focus on 165 Million for some crooks is distracting from the bigger question of what AIG did with the rest of the money.

“...the Federal Reserve purchased about $35 billion of risky underlying debt obligations, including mortgage-backed securities mainly from foreign banks. The Fed allowed those institutions to keep the collateral that AIG posted and essentially tore up the credit default contracts. AIG has reported that $47 billion was used for collateral postings and debt payments. More U.K. banks were beneficiaries than those in any other country because of the countries’ close financial ties, but no individual amounts have been released, according to different sources reported by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune. Four of the 15 banks cited by Fortune are based in the U.K. Four others are U.S.-based.”

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/money/investing/aig-bailouts-where-did-money-go

I am not a libertarian, but they are way out ahead of the “Progressive” press on these questions:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/cummings/cummings60.html

What if every dollar anyone earns above $500,000 per year were confiscated by the government. Would the poor become wealthier? Would the stupid become smarter? Would there be less greed? Less envy?

We are living in crazy times.

For example, the NY Jets have just gotten a new player and guaranteed him $48 million.  Meanwhile they have forced office workers and staff (people at normal salaries) to take unpaid furloughs.  The corporation claims “it comes out of a different bucket.”  Right.  Woody Johnson, the Jets’ owner, is a billionaire.  I’m giving up my Jets season tix—they don’t need MY money.

The contract-covered teachers in one county Maryland have foregone a 5% increase to save the county $89 million to keep the schools running.  Ford, Chrysler, and GM UAW workers are going to have to endure freezes and cuts as part of any bailout.

But the bankers at AIG? In the very division that SANK AIG?  Oh, for THEM a contract is a contract! 

No, what needs to be done is EVERY ONE of those bankers needs to be reviewed and if HIS/HER contribution OFFSET a part of the division’s losses, they are entitled to a bonus commensurate with their offset.  THOSE are the people AIG needs to retain since they are part of the solution, not the problem. But in NO losing division in any SANE company do people get $5 million bonuses!

If their contribution did NOT offset and rather contributed to the division’s losses, they should lose both their bonus AND their job….lots of Wall Street bankers out there on the Street now, unemployed.

And where the hell did we EVER get the idea that anyone who loses money should get a nickel’s bonus?????

I think it is disingenuous to claim that those who do not own are simply envious. The main driving engines for human behavior, especially in the West, are the desire for power or recognition, the need of sexual conquest to answer the biological, and blind mechanism of creation, and the nesting imperative which has been brutally distorted by the forces of marketing, to make humans believe that the satisfaction for shelter must include, cars, microwave ovens, assorted tech tools such as cell phones, computers and such.
This is all fine and dandy for those who belong to the wealthy socialist class, who faced with something they want, simply go out and buy it. This is where much of the robbery takes place. In order to meet the needs that their lifestyle demands, the wage imbalance between upper management and the worker, by necessity must increase. But it does not stop there. Corporations work tirelessly to cook up new demands upon their customers. This can take the form of sudden unannounced changes in credit card terms. Or in the case of banks, higher fees just to simply have access to the money their customers entrusted them with. Service charges, transaction fees, etc… which conveniently enable the predatory lending industry to appear as saviors for those unfortunate enough to not be connected to the system. This explains what all the obsessions about identification are really about: it has very little to do with personal or national security. Fully vetted, convicted murders, are able to somehow get released and kill again, but an undocumented worker is perceived to be much more of a threat.
The ownership class still believes in their entitlements, despite all the hand wringing and curtain chewing of late. For a luxury sky box sports subscriber, to really enjoy his or her game from a private bar made out of alligator skins, they must feel their “hard” clever work delivered them to a place where they can live, better than billions of their fellow humans on this earth.

We should indeed call their bluff and fire them.  Everyone, including me, points at the 50’s - 70’s at least as a time of greater equality, but how do we get back there.  Clearly the top income tax rate (~70% under Nixon, and ~90% under Eisenhower) is one tool.  I don’t know if the main problem is that the wealthy have so much political influence or that the average American seems to be too stupid to realize that a high tax on income over say $1M does not hurt them but benefits them.  I know the arguments about incentive, but we have gone too far in that direction and now the results are clearly less than optimal.

“Revenge a Dish Best Served Cold” and Savored.
I will be pissed if some psycho from the league of right wing lunatics takes matters into their own hands. I want the chance to watch as everyone of these High Crimes criminals are exposed in a court of law. Oh I want to watch them walk ‘The Green Mile’. I wnat their Crimes and their names to blaze in the History books to all to know and take heed in the future. Oh Please No One take this simple pleasure from US!
Try every member of CheneyCorp going back 40 yrs for Treason, war Crimes and Crimes agansti Humanity
Try ever Fed Chair and their lap dog Treasury Sec and political pocket puppies, who allowed the Corps the powers and privildges of Family Crest of Ol’
Let US enjoy the Freezing and Seizing of every top exec who swindled the small time investors ( hell some large foreign investors may love the show too)
Oh let US of the ‘For the People and By the people’ Populice, after decades of betrayal be able to savor the juicy remains served up with the ‘fava beans and Chianti’ laid out on the Table of jurisprudence. Anything less would be Unsatisfying, and bad taste.

We are divided into two camps- the greedy and the envious. Which camp has built more homes and fed more people throughout history?

If in the name of “populism” (everyone’s new word) the administration brushes aside the fact that people are awakening from a sort of Rip van Winkle sleep about the swindle that was managed against them since the Reagan presidency then I think times will be sour.
Righteous indignation is not the same thing as mob anger but can be channeled into darker waters by unscruplous manipulators if justice is left in the pawn shop.
I find it regrettable that Rhaml Emanuel is the watch-dog at the door of the WH and that Obama, who so desired different opinions that his first invitations were to the right and far-right-wing of the Republican party and press, has not yet sought the advice of less involved economists that those who played such important roles in the “setup” leading to this unfolding fraudulent calamity