Today 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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Image credit: slightlywinded   CC license