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The articles quoted velow were written by him in mid-September around the first anniversary of Lehman. I've never really paid attention to Ratigan in particular before, but this morning I caught five minutes of him verbally sparring with a GOP operative on the "Morning Meeting" show. The highlight being when Ratigan interrupted the firing off of GOP talking points to talk about "Corporate Communism" which appears to be another phrase for the FIREmen.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-..._b_285225.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32841310/ns/msnbc_tv/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-..._b_285225.html
It has become startlingly clear that we as a country, and I as a journalist, had made a grave error in affording those who built and ran those banks and insurance companies the honorable treatment of being called capitalists. When in fact the exact opposite was true, these people were more like vampires using the threat of Too Big Too Fail to hold us hostage and collect ongoing ransom from the US Government and the American taxpayer.
This was no unlucky accident. The massive spike in unemployment, the utter destruction of retirement wealth, the collapse in the value of our homes, the worst recession since the Great Depression all resulted directly from these actions.
Even with all that -- the only changes that have been made, have been made to prop up and hide the massive flaws on behalf of those who perpetuated them. Still utterly nothing has been done to disclose the flaws in this system, improve it or rebuild it.
Last fall was an awakening for me, as it was for many in our country.
And yet, our Congress has yet to open its eyes, much less do anything about it. In fact conditions have never been better for the banks or worse for the rest of us.
Why is this? Who does our Government work for? How much longer will we as Americans tolerate it? And what, if anything, can we do about it?
As we approach the anniversary of the bailouts for our banks and insurers -- and watch the multi-trillion taxpayer-funded programs at the Federal Reserve continue to support banks and subsidize their multibillion bonus pools, we must ask if our politicians represent the interests of America? Or those who would rob America of its money and its future?
As a country, we must demand that our politicians stop serving those whose business models are based on systemic theft and start serving those who seek to create value for others -- the workers, innovators and investors who have made this country great.
This was no unlucky accident. The massive spike in unemployment, the utter destruction of retirement wealth, the collapse in the value of our homes, the worst recession since the Great Depression all resulted directly from these actions.
Even with all that -- the only changes that have been made, have been made to prop up and hide the massive flaws on behalf of those who perpetuated them. Still utterly nothing has been done to disclose the flaws in this system, improve it or rebuild it.
Last fall was an awakening for me, as it was for many in our country.
And yet, our Congress has yet to open its eyes, much less do anything about it. In fact conditions have never been better for the banks or worse for the rest of us.
Why is this? Who does our Government work for? How much longer will we as Americans tolerate it? And what, if anything, can we do about it?
As we approach the anniversary of the bailouts for our banks and insurers -- and watch the multi-trillion taxpayer-funded programs at the Federal Reserve continue to support banks and subsidize their multibillion bonus pools, we must ask if our politicians represent the interests of America? Or those who would rob America of its money and its future?
As a country, we must demand that our politicians stop serving those whose business models are based on systemic theft and start serving those who seek to create value for others -- the workers, innovators and investors who have made this country great.
Last fall, when the business practices of our nation's largest insurers and banks were exposed, it was revealed that they were not financial geniuses or capitalists, but rather impersonators who had changed the rules of the investment business in Washington to legalize a system of unregulated speculation in which they could pay themselves billions by risking trillions of everyone else's money.
This was not capitalism. This was systematic theft perpetrated through government control.
It became clear that I had made a grave error in affording those who built and ran those banks and insurance companies the honorable treatment of being called a capitalist — either an investor or an innovator — one who creates value for others and is paid accordingly.
They were in fact the exact opposite, vampires using the weaponry of "Too Big Too Fail" to steal money from the U.S. government and American workers, retirees, students, etc.
But how were they able to do it? Was it an accident? Or did they change the rules of the game so they could embark on this path of massive systematic theft from the American people? The deeper I went, the more questions I asked, the worse it appeared.
[..]
The American people are afforded two liberties relative to corporations and government: We get to pick how we spend and invest our non-tax money, and no one can tell us how to vote in elections. If the banks and Congress will not work to protect those liberties, we must immediately demand a change in our representation and stop forcing Americans to invest in failed businesses.
It is especially galling to be forced to invest in those companies who seek to make money not by being forced to innovate and make better products for us, their customers, but by exploiting us, and ultimately stealing from us in a gross corruption of the American government.
As we approach the anniversary of the bailouts for our banks and insurers and watch the multi-trillion taxpayer-funded programs at the Federal Reserve continue to support banks that once again mark record profits, you really have to ask yourself who Congress really represents. Do they represent the interests of America? Or just those who would rob America?
All of us, left, right and center, need to demand that our politicians stop serving those whose business models are based on stealing taxpayer money, and start serving those of us who work, invest and innovate everyday to create value for others.
This was not capitalism. This was systematic theft perpetrated through government control.
It became clear that I had made a grave error in affording those who built and ran those banks and insurance companies the honorable treatment of being called a capitalist — either an investor or an innovator — one who creates value for others and is paid accordingly.
They were in fact the exact opposite, vampires using the weaponry of "Too Big Too Fail" to steal money from the U.S. government and American workers, retirees, students, etc.
But how were they able to do it? Was it an accident? Or did they change the rules of the game so they could embark on this path of massive systematic theft from the American people? The deeper I went, the more questions I asked, the worse it appeared.
[..]
The American people are afforded two liberties relative to corporations and government: We get to pick how we spend and invest our non-tax money, and no one can tell us how to vote in elections. If the banks and Congress will not work to protect those liberties, we must immediately demand a change in our representation and stop forcing Americans to invest in failed businesses.
It is especially galling to be forced to invest in those companies who seek to make money not by being forced to innovate and make better products for us, their customers, but by exploiting us, and ultimately stealing from us in a gross corruption of the American government.
As we approach the anniversary of the bailouts for our banks and insurers and watch the multi-trillion taxpayer-funded programs at the Federal Reserve continue to support banks that once again mark record profits, you really have to ask yourself who Congress really represents. Do they represent the interests of America? Or just those who would rob America?
All of us, left, right and center, need to demand that our politicians stop serving those whose business models are based on stealing taxpayer money, and start serving those of us who work, invest and innovate everyday to create value for others.
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