[hope_full]

Great article in the Asian Times this morning. Great as in, well-written concise and powerful. And scary. Good reading and I agree with every point.

Why *should* American households that earn $50,000 a year subsidize banker buddies that earn $5 million a year????

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Eco ... 3Dj06.html

Why are the voices raised in protest so shrill and few? Why will Americans fall on their fountain-pens for their bankers? If America is to adopt socialism, why not have socialism for the poor, rather than for the rich? Why should American households that earn $50,000 a year subsidize Goldman Sachs partners who earn $5 million a year?

[Eli]

Most people in the US are ignorant about what is going on, and that is by design.

The media is owned by the same people who most benefit from this bailout. Wall Street also owns the CONgress and the Treasury Sec..

Basically it is their game and they run the show, the bailout is being sold as a benefit to the common man, it is a big lie but it is being told often enough.

[mmasters]

Because it's not the free world many think it is anymore. There are people protesting for one but their voices are not heard. The people behind the financial mess are tied in with the people behind government, big business and media. There can be many protests but there will simply be no coverage. Right now google message boards and many other public forums are being mass censored regarding negative socialistic comments about the nationalization activity that happened on wall street today.

The other part of it is people are pretty stupid. There is little to no decent education regarding the financial system, this is not by accident. Look at the kids coming out of school they have no clue what is going on and most couldn't care. They are too consumed with the compartmentalized aspects of the world like playing video games, watching mindless TV and getting fake tans. The adults aren't much better, a lady at a resturant this morning said, "oh well this is just the S&L crisis happening over again, history repeats itself." She like many adults have been conditioned to accept this stuff as normal.

[burtonridr]

Wow great article.... I dont know what it will take to get the country fired up enough to act on its disgust for the new found american dream.

[Madpaddy]

burtonridr,

Nothing will rouse the masses. When the conditioning goes on long enough 99.99% of people will strip off and walk right into the CylonB showers just like the person in front of them. The other 0.01% will be driven into the woods and machine gunned after they dig their own graves.

[burtonridr]

burtonridr,

Nothing will rouse the masses. When the conditioning goes on long enough 99.99% of people will strip off and walk right into the CylonB showers just like the person in front of them. The other 0.01% will be driven into the woods and machine gunned after they dig their own graves.

Lol you obviously don't get it, without us they have no power, they have no monetary system... The Disney Movie "Ants" comes to mind for some reason. They have to have workers, they can slowly and systematically take away freedoms, power and money while growing the masses to create more power and more money for them, but at some point we will reach a tipping point, where? who knows.

That is what has been going on and will continue to go on, for the most part I'm content with my life the way it is, I have no need to for power over people and as long as I can live my life the way I see fit, I dont have a problem... Which I'm sure most Americans feel the same way. However, that doesn't mean I wont voice my opinion.

Ya know its kinda funny because this concept of working to give someone else more money and power shouldnt be all that new to anyone. Its called having a job and working for someone.

I dunno its easy, it requires very little responsibility, and if I ever really wanted to I could gain wealth just as anyone else. Nothing is stopping me from reaching whatever dreams I have except myself... The rules of the game are kinda shitty but you just have to be smarter than the majority to get ahead.

[Madpaddy]

burtonridr wrote,

They have to have workers, they can slowly and systematically take away freedoms, power and money while growing the masses to create more power and more money for them, but at some point we will reach a tipping point, where? who knows.

And what will we do? and still avoid the trip to the woods. I'm genuinely curious.

[Madpaddy]

I'm happy in my own life too. There is surely a point where even the most comatose will express their anger but what good will it do is my question?

[burtonridr]

burtonridr wrote,

They have to have workers, they can slowly and systematically take away freedoms, power and money while growing the masses to create more power and more money for them, but at some point we will reach a tipping point, where? who knows.

And what will we do? and still avoid the trip to the woods. I'm genuinely curious.

If we reach a tipping point it will have to be a tipping point that affects even the members of the military and government officials. Contrary to popular belief around here, not everyone in the government is high up on the chain, lots of them get screwed just as hard by politicians. Its a text book 10% of the population controlling 90% of the population, wealth and power. Its a hierarchy of power which the top of the pyramid can only effectively control the top portion of the pyramid, the further down you get the more people involved and the less control over them they have. The day we have a revolution is the day men with pitch forks stand along side a Bradly tank from the local army reserve base in arms and march towards the capital. Fantasize all you want about a hippie revolution but it wont happen.

[Madpaddy]

The day we have a revolution is the day men with pitch forks stand along side a Bradly tank from the local army reserve base in arms and march towards the capital.

That will never ever happen because the vast majority of people in the Western democracies fundamentally believe that the type of government that they live under is the best that mankind has ever and will ever come up with.

And the military will always be handled in such a way that the members of the military could not conceivably revolt.

The hippie revolution will never happen either and if it did it would be useful for entertainment purposes only.

[AlexdeLarge]

Most people in the US are ignorant about what is going on, and that is by design.

That is load of horse crap! They are ignorant by choice! They would rather watch American Idol and select their leaders because they recognize the name or based on some cute sound bite! The information is out there for all to read if they want to take the time.

It has always been that way. Thats why there will always be the rich and the poor. Thats why there are leaders and followers. There is no conspiracy to keep the public dumb. For the average citizen in "any" country......ignorance is bliss!!!

[burtonridr]

That will never ever happen because the vast majority of people in the Western democracies fundamentally believe that the type of government that they live under is the best that mankind has ever and will ever come up with.

If that is truly the case then it will not happen, it will take an upset of the huge majority to enact any kind of change.

And the military will always be handled in such a way that the members of the military could not conceivably revolt.

The military is not handled in a way that would prevent a revolt given the right circumstances. Hell they train them how to properly handle a revolution. But again, you would have to piss off everyone, not just a few.

[Eli]

Your entitled to your opinion, but the full court press that all the financial media outlets have been giving this would argue against your view.

MSNBC is the most watched financial network in the US and they are cheer leading this bail out from the beginning. It is hard to find critical reporting in the US on this bailout, although that is changing.

[charliebrownout]

Most people in the US are ignorant about what is going on, and that is by design.

That is load of horse crap! They are ignorant by choice! They would rather watch American Idol and select their leaders because they recognize the name or based on some cute sound bite! The information is out there for all to read if they want to take the time.

It has always been that way. Thats why there will always be the rich and the poor. Thats why there are leaders and followers. There is no conspiracy to keep the public dumb. For the average citizen in "any" country......ignorance is bliss!!!

True, but there are intelligent (and unintelligent) people on each level of the economic strata. I'm not one of them, but I'm not just a stupid pleb, either. And I hate American Idol. But, without enough people around me speaking honestly and openly and willing to get out there and change things ("for reals") all I do is sit on the sidelines and try to be zen about it.

I agree that MANY are willfully ignorant, but I do take issue with the notion that poor people do this alone. Probably because I'm broke, but also for other reasons.....which....I would list....if I could think of some really good ones....off the top of my head....

Oh, f@#$K it. Finger pointing doesn't do much at this point. We're screwed.

[AlexdeLarge]

You know whats going on don't you? So do I. Are we just brighter than the average Joe??? Anyone who wants to read the wallstreet journal, check out a few financial websites can find out and educate themselves as to what is going on. Our media is not controled across all channels.......yet! The MS press is always biased, anyone with any common sense knows this fact. Hell, they sale herbal erection remedies too!!! Do you think average Joe buys that horse crap? No, not many, but they make a choice to not find out the facts. Maybe its just laziness.

The average person does not pay attention until it impacts their life directly. Just like a bunch of sheep. The only design in this may be genetic..........but not a conspiracy.

[Snowrunner]

The day we have a revolution is the day men with pitch forks stand along side a Bradly tank from the local army reserve base in arms and march towards the capital.

That will never ever happen because the vast majority of people in the Western democracies fundamentally believe that the type of government that they live under is the best that mankind has ever and will ever come up with.

May I correct you here? I think that's true for the US, but most other parts of the world (read, Europe) has a different take on these things.

The US has their 2nd which is nothing more than a pacifier for grown ups.

Personally I think the US has gotten so far down the road in believing their own propaganda that the awakening will be individuals, one at a time, who will most likely believe that really, their gun will make a difference, but it most likely won't.

There will be DARK times ahead unless there is a sudden mass awakening and I seriously doubt that.

And the military will always be handled in such a way that the members of the military could not conceivably revolt.

The hippie revolution will never happen either and if it did it would be useful for entertainment purposes only.

Eventually it will, no system exists forever, but the birth pains for the new one are usually quite high.

[Madpaddy]

Snowrunner,

I am European and I think my comments hold true for most countries here except of course for the French who are always revolting... in the political sense of course.

[Nano]

We can't revolt, because we've been softened and dumbed down too much by the cuddly system that sadly turned out to be unsustainable. We need to 'harden the fcuk up' as they say, but that will take time and a lot of pain.

Hell, my wife has known about peak oil from me for about 3 years now, but only since the credit crisis is she starting to agree with me that perhaps the good times are REALLY over...

[burtonridr]

We can't revolt, because....

Insert whatever you want here... pretty much sums up why it wont happen, no one thinks it can be successfully accomplished.

The average person does not pay attention until it impacts their life directly

exactly....Unfortunately it has been, just small bits at a time so it goes virtually un-noticed by most.

[FlyingBoat]

You ask the question why aren't there more voices against this.

They have the American People in the Ponzi scheme, along with the Congress. If 90%+ of us are in the stock market then they can say we need to bail this out or you are going to loose your retirement and your house that you have so higly leveraged.

So the sheeple go along with it, to make the rich richer in order to keep their dream of a nest egg, even though they are the ones footing the bill and are getting very little of the return compared to the megarich.