The U.S. Supreme Court just lifted restrictions on election donations from CORPORATIONS, labor unions, etc. Corporations? They already own the House and the Senate. When was the last time you saw something positive for the American Taxpayer actually pass out of those halls?
We still have high Unemployment? Check
There are still massive Foreclosures nationwide? Check
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs Profits hit $4.8 BILLION,
President Obama lays bare the greed… With unimaginable hubris, the Banking Industry has:
deregulated itself (with the help of politicians in their pockets),
created and globally sold insolvent financial instruments,
run for bailouts when their shaky house of cards became visible,
paid themselves BILLIONS of dollars in salary and bonuses while Americans lost their jobs and homes because of the banking-caused implosion,
and now has hired phalanxes of lobbyists to AGAIN go to their bought-and-paid-for politicians in order to avoid regulation, fees or ANY modicum of fair payback to the American people, whom they see as suckers.
Obama points out that the fees he’s asking for are LESS than the bonuses Banks want to pay their senior management this year alone. Remember, Banks want to pay bonuses TO those who caused our global recession. Why? Because by taking bailout money and using it to again bet against America, they’ve made even more blood money in the last year… Its unimaginable greed, made real by the evil doings of many in the financial industry and politics. Bravo, Mr. President for being so blunt.
Bank of America (capitalist when it comes to profits, socialist when it comes to not taking its lumps) lowered his credit to close to his outstanding balance and raised his interest rate, right when he asked for an increase in his credit.
His argument?
Bank of America has taken billions in taxpayer money, is still paying itself and its people billions in bonuses, AND in turn is screwing its customers with increased interest rates and lowered credit limits.
Here’s a thought:
Banks have destroyed the economy,
Banks have further harmed the economy by taking billions of bailout dollars
taxpayers suffer from the resulting economic slowdown,
banks re-offend by harming customers, jacking up interest rates and fees
If we were talking about a physically violent bully, we’d throw the bum in jail and lock him up for a very long time, ensuring no return to society and no recidivism.
Instead, banks make money coming and going and no one (but the occasional brave person like Pavone) dares to stop it.
The good thing is he’s willing to brawl with Goliath. The bad thing is it takes a special background like a law degree, to be able to fight off Goliath’s abuses. Most customers suffer deep loss in their credit scores, higher interest rates and no borrowability to get them thru the bad economic times.
Hope he takes B of A to court and prevails. The mighty can fall, you know… The tobacco industry used to be protected from lawsuits and now they are fair game. Lets hope banks become vulnerable to self-defense attacks by their customers.
Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project inspired this video, a true story about a 2008 competitive softball game between Western Oregon College and Central Washington University.
Imagine our foreign policy if these girls were in charge? We’d go back to the old fashioned American value of offering a helping hand…
Imagine our inner city poverty programs if these girls were in charge?
Imagine our elderly living lonely, forgotten lives, unable to pay for medications if these girls were in charge?
These girls represent the best of humanity. And the easy-going kindness that builds foundations of trust and hope for the future.
