[yesplease]

I don't particularly like the braying rugby playing public schoolboys who tend to go into finance, but that's not a reason to demonise them. We need to be clear who orchestrated this, it was the bankers who lobbied government (and the government themselves for allowing themselves to be corrupted). The minions were merely wannabe yuppies.

Bingo. Granted, the public schoolboys may not have dug ditches, broken concrete, hostled freight, and so on, but they also aren't the ones who probably walked away with billions, maybe trillions over the past few years, by gaming the system.

[ReverseEngineer]

Remember, it isn't people who happen to find a good way to make money who are at fault here, it's those who lobbied for deregulation and sat in the shadows, raking in the money.

I don't particularly like the braying rugby playing public schoolboys who tend to go into finance, but that's not a reason to demonise them. We need to be clear who orchestrated this, it was the bankers who lobbied government (and the government themselves for allowing themselves to be corrupted). The minions were merely wannabe yuppies.

+1

Sometimes good people succeed and make money, even in spite of themselves. I know many folks committed, working for, and sacrificing daily for social justice. And they are comfortable. It's not necessary to beat up on oneself for being a citizen of the richest country ever to exist.

I guess it would be so much easier if justice prevailed and life were black and white. But it is not.

I do not believe we are talking about $200K a year Social Workers.

In any event, the fact your typical $200K/year broker on Wall Street was just an apparatchik and not the real beneficiary of all the theft, just because Al Capone took most of the profits, does this absolve his Hit Men from guilt? Remember also, the Wannabee Pigmen of today are the real Pigmen of tomorrow, at least the ones that make it to the top of the Food Chain.

If you were a Wall Street Banker with a real Social Conscience who gave away all your spare dollars to the needy, pats on the back there, but that still doesn't absolve the guilt of working for a crooked and corrupt system, anymore than the average Nazi Soldier was innocent when employed by Hitler.

As things spin down here, all folks are left with the consequence of the choices they made in life. If you made the choice to be a Wannabee Pigman and Yuppie in NYC or London, you made a BAD choice. You'll live with the consequences of that, and those consequences no longer include dipping your wick into Ford Agency Models and stuffing their noses with Cocaine.

Reverse Engineer

[davep]

Remember, it isn't people who happen to find a good way to make money who are at fault here, it's those who lobbied for deregulation and sat in the shadows, raking in the money.

I don't particularly like the braying rugby playing public schoolboys who tend to go into finance, but that's not a reason to demonise them. We need to be clear who orchestrated this, it was the bankers who lobbied government (and the government themselves for allowing themselves to be corrupted). The minions were merely wannabe yuppies.

+1

Sometimes good people succeed and make money, even in spite of themselves. I know many folks committed, working for, and sacrificing daily for social justice. And they are comfortable. It's not necessary to beat up on oneself for being a citizen of the richest country ever to exist.

I guess it would be so much easier if justice prevailed and life were black and white. But it is not.

I do not believe we are talking about $200K a year Social Workers.

In any event, the fact your typical $200K/year broker on Wall Street was just an apparatchik and not the real beneficiary of all the theft, just because Al Capone took most of the profits, does this absolve his Hit Men from guilt? Remember also, the Wannabee Pigmen of today are the real Pigmen of tomorrow, at least the ones that make it to the top of the Food Chain.

If you were a Wall Street Banker with a real Social Conscience who gave away all your spare dollars to the needy, pats on the back there, but that still doesn't absolve the guilt of working for a crooked and corrupt system, anymore than the average Nazi Soldier was innocent when employed by Hitler.

As things spin down here, all folks are left with the consequence of the choices they made in life. If you made the choice to be a Wannabee Pigman and Yuppie in NYC or London, you made a BAD choice. You'll live with the consequences of that, and those consequences no longer include dipping your wick into Ford Agency Models and stuffing their noses with Cocaine.

Reverse Engineer

Come on, cut the hyperbole.

People see a job they can do that pays more, they go for it. There's no pigman disclaimer in the vacancy.

As I said, it's the power of corporations that needs to be tackled, and those with the power behind them.

I made a bad choice, and got out. However, I am probably a bit more aware than your average citizen. This doesn't make them demons. Be careful that you don't dissipate your energies in false battles.

[ReverseEngineer]

Be careful that you don't dissipate your energies in false battles.

If my energies are measured in the written word, they cannot be dissipated. Its a Cornucopia

Certainly, the top of the food chain Banksters are the MOST guilty, but there is plenty of guilt to go around here. I do also believe that the Punishment should fit the Crime and not all should receive the same Punishments, if you get my drift. LOL.

Regardelss of this, I don't look at the apparatchiks of this industry as misguided Preppies with no culpability. You know, George Bush was once a misguided Preppy. Misguided Preppies tend to grow up into Sociopathic Murderers. I went to college with these folks. They were all well on their way to Hell in their teens and 20s. A more shallow bunch I never met than the crowd from Phillips Andover. LOL.

When Judgement Day comes, all will be held Accountable. Nobody is truly innocent of course, but some are more guilty than others. Those who participated in the Orgy of Greed and Lust for Power and Wealth that was Wall Street are in fact the Most Guilty, and therefore in all Justice should suffer the worst Punishments. And so they will.

Reverse Engineer

[davep]

Be careful that you don't dissipate your energies in false battles.

If my energies are measured in the written word, they cannot be dissipated. Its a Cornucopia

Certainly, the top of the food chain Banksters are the MOST guilty, but there is plenty of guilt to go around here. I do also believe that the Punishment should fit the Crime and not all should receive the same Punishments, if you get my drift. LOL.

Regardelss of this, I don't look at the apparatchiks of this industry as misguided Preppies with no culpability. You know, George Bush was once a misguided Preppy. Misguided Preppies tend to grow up into Sociopathic Murderers. I went to college with these folks. They were all well on their way to Hell in their teens and 20s. A more shallow bunch I never met than the crowd from Phillips Andover. LOL.

When Judgement Day comes, all will be held Accountable. Nobody is truly innocent of course, but some are more guilty than others. Those who participated in the Orgy of Greed and Lust for Power and Wealth that was Wall Street are in fact the Most Guilty, and therefore in all Justice should suffer the worst Punishments. And so they will.

Reverse Engineer

Hmmm, you appear to be talking of divine punishment. I'd leave that to God, as I'm not presumptuous enough to assume that mantle.

However, we also need to deal with the reality here in the Garden of Earthly Delights. Maybe we can set the bar a wee bit lower. Otherwise we end in a cycle of recriminations that serves no purpose but terror.

[phaster]

Interesting thread, but just thought I'd point out that its not only NYC finance gold diggers who are lamenting their awful quandry! I'd also suggest that other social/economic groups are also going to have a rude lifestyle awakening, for example:

the real housewives of orange county

http://www.vh1.com/shows/various "reality" shows on VH1

Various professional sports players

people hoping to get rich flipping real estate

rap and various rock stars

etc.

[ReverseEngineer]

Hmmm, you appear to be talking of divine punishment. I'd leave that to God, as I'm not presumptuous enough to assume that mantle.

I'm sure God will do a fine job in the Hereafter. It is up to people though to make the Judgements and do the job of punishing the guilty in the Here and Now. Or do you feel the Banksters shoudl walk off scott free and we should leave the retribution to God? If you do not feel that way, then how do you go about dispensing Justice? Or Vengeance, or Retribution, call it what you will.

Reverse Engineer