Rant

[amydmartin]

I am so angry about AIG at the moment I can hardly think. I’m sick of being told I have to pay to keep them afloat. Let them fail, let the whole lot of them fail. Screw their contracts: let them declare bankruptcy and renegotiate their contracts just like they force on the blue collar workers.

And the further result of this is that I am now

Comments

[amydmartin]

One of my all time favorites.

[hypnobarb1]

Human beings have once again proven that they cannot regulate themselves when greed is involved. The sad part of it is that they are pretty much going to get away with it. Shoplifting a Snickers bar at Walmart has more consequences than the billions these people looted in their years of pillage, economic rape, and plunder.

Regulate and tax the hell out of them.

[alabastard]

Pretty much what I was going to comment, greed will always s win out and people are trying to get what they can before it all grinds to a halt ... though I also believe that this was in the plans all along.

[amydmartin]

How so and how far back? I think Lampblack below agrees with you.

[alabastard]

Can't really say how far back, but the Bush administration is not as stupid as its namesake. I can't claim to know the details *and as a Malfoy I certainly wouldn't be spilling the beans ;-)* ... but really, it's all just so BLATANT, this is much more than pure greed, what better way to control the unwashed masses than to have them up in arms and in a panic, thus rendered impotent.

[lampblack]

At least you who believe the situation can be explained by incompetence and greed still feel that you have some power, Unlike those of us who are thinking that the whole economic and social situation is a carefully engineered plot of social control...

[droxy]

I agree. This is why Barney Franks isn't in jail.

[amydmartin]

I can think of a lot of people I'd put there with him.

[amydmartin]

I would need for you to define a few of those terms, but suspect we would agree on much. Being a labor lawyer and watching the systematic dismanteling of that system and the propoganda used to bamboozle workers into supporting a system that does not support them will do that to you.

[droxy]

I dont advocate marxism. But I have never supported the bailout. We called in and wrote not to do it. As I say, dont spend my tax money, and let-them fail. Let the market correct the mistakes, if the companies fail, they lose a job and get no bonus. That's the real world.

I dont beleive in punishing the honest rich*. (What the govt says is rich and what we beleive are the rich are two very different definitions. Do you know I am considered wealthy by the govt? I drive old cars, have no furniture, and wear second hand clothing....and I am wealthy. No yacht, not second home, no BMWs...) I propose the flat tax, everyone pays, no deductions. Period.

[amydmartin]

I'm no Marxist. I'm also a flat taxer but not a supporter of "head tax." I support proportional income tax on all income including un-earned income. No deductions. None.

I also don't support punishing the honest rich. That's why I was troubled by Obama's tax plan to increase upper income bracket tax while reducing upper income deduction. If we're going to have a graduated tax system then the deductions should be graduated at the same percentage.

In my humble, ill-informed, left leaning opinion.

[msavi]

I especially enjoyed the part where AIG says re:bonuses, "Our hands our tied." As if any exec who tries to sue the company for not paying his/her contract-guaranteed bonus won't be crucified by the media/public.

I feel so impotent about the whole thing. What's the average American to do about this blatant greed and me-first-ism? Letters to my Congress rep/Senator ain't gonna cut it. Someone better do something quick, though, before someone decides to break out the ol' guillotine.

[amydmartin]

My point exactly. There's an interesting article in the NYT yesterday making just this point. Their actions threaten the public's willingness to accept all the future actions taken by Obama.

I also feel impotent and was accused of demegaugory for being angry. But not a one of them would have recieved these bonuses if we had allowed them to go into bankruptcy which I was told by representatives of both parties we could not do...