Wall Street walks the pirate talk
by Miki SaxonToday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day with the goal to “unleash your inner buccaneer.”
Black humor indeed, considering the financial headlines this week.
Wall Street not only unleashed its inner buccaneer, it walked the pirate talk to financially rape and pillage with nary a thought to the consequences.
That’s what 30 years of bipartisan deregulation (three Republican and two Democratic Presidents) gets you.
Not that I think regulation always works, nor that Congress crafts good regulation, since it’s heavily influenced by lobbyists, PACs, and other special interests.
But assuming that “leaders” will act in the best interests of all is way beyond stupidity.
To add to the hilarity, the folks on Capitol Hill are debating whether to allow the same financial institutions that are melting down to take over private pension funds.
Only this time the totally unregulated, shrouded-in-secrecy, completely opaque hedge funds want a piece of the action, too.
So if bailed-out AIG, Chapter 11 Lehman and the already acquired Merrlil Lynch haven’t given you nightmares this certainly should.
Maybe we should all just walk the plank and get it over with.
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September 19th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
[...] economy is facing unprecedented challenges, and we are responding with unprecedented action.” -George W. Bush, [...]
September 21st, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I always walk away feeling a tad bit scared (terrified, frightened, hopeless, etc. and so forth) when I read about the financial woes of this country…
September 21st, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Alicia, thanks for stopping by. I agree that it’s scary, but better emotions to encourage in yourself and others is outrage, anger, etc. They will help you get involved to change things. As long as people feel helpless and hopeless our so-called leaders will just go their merry way—on our backs.
September 21st, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Hi Miki. I think my fears stem mostly from my own financial situation. I’m not wealthy, I don’t have tons of money in savings – I’m just a regular person who’s suffered a couple of financial setbacks over the last few years and is trying to manage paying bills, eating, keeping the fuel tank from becoming empty, and the epic challenge that is working on the car.
So, when I hear about how bad things are in the rest of the world – our economy – it’s very discouraging.
However, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It’s the “outrage, anger, etc.” that’s always led me to my particular advocacy/movement callings.
September 21st, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I relate, Alicia, oh how I relate. I lost everything from a lifetime of work in 2000, had to lay off the people in my company, then got hit with some personal stuff and on and on. But that’s life and the most important thing in life is getting up—not how often you’re knocked down.
So, Alicia, you and I and millions of others will get up and kick this mess out on its ass along with all the “leaders” who enabled it.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:03 am
Hear, hear! (not quite piratey, but…haha) I’m with you!
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:04 am
I think it’s ‘har, har’, but a pirate I am NOT! Too bad, if I was I wouldn’t be in my current mess:)