[Your Catchy Title Here]
Today is Wednesday, 12 November 2008.
When Alan Greenspan testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on 23 October, he said: “Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholders’ equity, myself included, are in a state of shocked disbelief”.
Mr. Greenspan, I’ve watched Casablanca dozens of times, and you, sir, are no Claude Rains: “I’m shocked, shocked: there’s gambling in the casino!”
Obviously, lending institutions have self-interest. Obviously, those executives who control lending institutions also have self-interest. Obviously, unless those executives are closely regulated, many will often sacrifice the interests of shareholder equity to their own greed.
Doh!
Of course, the Great Alan has been a charter member of the cult of the mediocre novelist and “philosopher” (“Objectivism”, anyone?) Ayn Rand since graduate school. (I.e., since Alan was old enough to know better.)
Obviously, Alan “Gordon Gecko” Greenspan, greed isn’t good.
___________________________________________
As I’ve remarked before, an occupational hazard of being a hate-mongering scarifier is that one must become continually more whack to retain public attention.
The John Birch Society progressing from “Eisenhower is a dupe of the Commies” to “Eisenhower is a conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy”. Jerry Falwell’s desperate crusade against the “gay Teletubbie”. Joe McCarthy finding Commies first in the State Department, and finally in the U.S. Army.
Thursday last, Rush Limbaugh took his latest plunge: “The Obama recession is in full swing, ladies and gentlemen. Stocks are dying, which is a precursor of things to come. This is an Obama recession. Might turn into a depression. He hasn’t done anything yet. But his ideas are killing the economy.”
So, Slush: for the eight years past, Presidents W. and Cheney, plus Congressional Republicans, have pursued a secret Obamist-socialist agenda?
___________________________________________
One of our mottos here at MoB is: “No quarter!”
The honeymoon is officially over.
In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama wrote of “the psychodrama of the Baby Boom generation --- a tale rooted in old grudges and revenge plots hatched on a handful of college campuses long ago”.
The kindest evaluation I can make of that concept is “asinine”.
The concerns and struggles which have preoccupied many of us Baby Boomers since the end of the Eisenhower Era are mere psychobabble and spats foisted on the world by a cabal of elitist, pointy-headed intellectuals from a smattering of college campuses?
Gee, I’d always thought racism, genocide, slavery, sexism, homophobia, economic inequality, rampant violence, etc. had something to do with it. And to think: it could all been avoided had we only had our heads shrunk and de-pointed!
Such a sentiment is unworthy of you, sir.
We are again reminded: all executives must be most closely watched and regulated.
___________________________________________
On this date in 1969, journalist Seymour Hersh broke the news of the My Lai Massacre.
When Alan Greenspan testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on 23 October, he said: “Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholders’ equity, myself included, are in a state of shocked disbelief”.
Mr. Greenspan, I’ve watched Casablanca dozens of times, and you, sir, are no Claude Rains: “I’m shocked, shocked: there’s gambling in the casino!”
Obviously, lending institutions have self-interest. Obviously, those executives who control lending institutions also have self-interest. Obviously, unless those executives are closely regulated, many will often sacrifice the interests of shareholder equity to their own greed.
Doh!
Of course, the Great Alan has been a charter member of the cult of the mediocre novelist and “philosopher” (“Objectivism”, anyone?) Ayn Rand since graduate school. (I.e., since Alan was old enough to know better.)
Obviously, Alan “Gordon Gecko” Greenspan, greed isn’t good.
___________________________________________
As I’ve remarked before, an occupational hazard of being a hate-mongering scarifier is that one must become continually more whack to retain public attention.
The John Birch Society progressing from “Eisenhower is a dupe of the Commies” to “Eisenhower is a conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy”. Jerry Falwell’s desperate crusade against the “gay Teletubbie”. Joe McCarthy finding Commies first in the State Department, and finally in the U.S. Army.
Thursday last, Rush Limbaugh took his latest plunge: “The Obama recession is in full swing, ladies and gentlemen. Stocks are dying, which is a precursor of things to come. This is an Obama recession. Might turn into a depression. He hasn’t done anything yet. But his ideas are killing the economy.”
So, Slush: for the eight years past, Presidents W. and Cheney, plus Congressional Republicans, have pursued a secret Obamist-socialist agenda?
___________________________________________
One of our mottos here at MoB is: “No quarter!”
The honeymoon is officially over.
In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama wrote of “the psychodrama of the Baby Boom generation --- a tale rooted in old grudges and revenge plots hatched on a handful of college campuses long ago”.
The kindest evaluation I can make of that concept is “asinine”.
The concerns and struggles which have preoccupied many of us Baby Boomers since the end of the Eisenhower Era are mere psychobabble and spats foisted on the world by a cabal of elitist, pointy-headed intellectuals from a smattering of college campuses?
Gee, I’d always thought racism, genocide, slavery, sexism, homophobia, economic inequality, rampant violence, etc. had something to do with it. And to think: it could all been avoided had we only had our heads shrunk and de-pointed!
Such a sentiment is unworthy of you, sir.
We are again reminded: all executives must be most closely watched and regulated.
___________________________________________
On this date in 1969, journalist Seymour Hersh broke the news of the My Lai Massacre.
posted by HH at 9:07 AM
5 Comments:
Please define "No quarter!"
Wow, you are tough--the honeymoon is over before the President Elect even takes office. I hope your actual honeymoon lasted past the wedding ceremony.
I am allowing myself a little time to celebrate this victory. Might make you feel a little less stressed and depressed if you did the same.
I gave Obama a week's honeymoon from Election Day. The great Helen Thomas, who has covered every White House since President-elect Kennedy, says she'll give Obama a month from 20 January.
Guess I'm just a pitbull with a pipe.
To apply the term "honeymoon" to an elected official is absurd. Once someone begins running for office, they must be held continuously accountable. That's what I mean by "No Quarter!"
The latter is also a reference to the Homecoming Parade scene at the end of "Animal House", wherein John Belushi, dressed as a pirate and brandishing a sword, utters those words.
As to celebration, I'll wait until Obama has left office, and determine if his record deserves a happy party.
"The proof is in the pudding".
There it is, folks - from HH's own lips, or rather, fingers. He is critical and analytical from Day One. In Obama's case, pre-Day One. Yes, HH's joy in life is to critique. Nothing makes him happy except a good bottle of something and a few tunes.
"Anonymous": Thanks, and please see my response of 14 November.
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