It's time we get back to being Americans and live up to our Constitution

Stories like this highlight the vast dividing line between rich and poor.

I've been fortunate to grow up middle class. I've had every opportunity to succeed. My parents were not so lucky. Both came from poor country stock and both carry the attitudes and proclivities of the poor.

Those attitudes impacted me in a significant way--making me sensitive the the plight of the poor and downtrodden. These lessons, more than anything, explain my tendency to support the many over the few--the weak over the strong. Essentially, growing up with middle class resources, but a lower class mindset shaped my political values.

For many decades now, a scary, class-ist, and ultimately aristocratic attitude has governed our society. Hopefully, its final expression in the Bush administration and their mouthpieces in the press (Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck to name a few..) will be nothing more than a death shudder of a narrow and mean view of society.

Policies enacted over decades make it easier to exploit those with little social power. Greed--encouraged by an ideology of self-reliance and a laissez-faire agenda reminiscent of pre-Depression era government and country, has resulted in an exploitative society that is nothing less than predatory.

It's time we own up to meanness. It's time we live united as a people. Too long have self-interest and the narcissism of certain self-satisfaction governed our land.

We should begin by treating the poor as people instead of like peasants to be abused for our own gain.

If we fail, then it won't be too long before our aristocratic tendencies lead to our undoing.

Morons on parade.

The more I work with corporate America, the more I understand that the value of ....shall we call it VALUES!

For a time now, I've provided advice and other services to a corporation.

In the scant two (2) years of my association, I've experienced a caricature of corporate America.

First of all, this company (although one I hold deep regard for in my personal life...) seems to hire what I charitably call "flunkies" for their management staff.

These people spend most of their time avoiding responsibility, shirking work, and shifting blame rather than actually working.

Secondly, whenever I provide any advice, legal or otherwise, if it conflicts with their bottom line, I immediately suffer demonization and threats against my future tenure.

What I've learned from this experience?

Schmoes work in corporate America. They sacrifice integrity for their own self-interest.

I don't think the founding fathers had this in mind when they set up our great country.

I've also learned that the truth is really scary when money in involved.

Why?

It seems that every decision made by my corporate affiliate gets resolved in a fashion that results in maximization of their cash-flow NOW rather than for their long-term financial stability.

Such is the life of Mr. Brutal Honesty.

Greed of executives may kill Chrysler.

I blogged about this earlier when I noted that the auto manufacturers were shunning bankruptcy because of the executive compensation issue.

Now, it seems my prediction was true.

Chrysler, a company in danger of dying, has turned down federal loans to keep itself afloat because of...(drum roll please) EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

Sometimes the greed of a few can kill the livelihood of thousands.

Too bad.

AIG can't seem to learn its lesson.

AIG really screwed the pooch. They can't seem to learn.

Not only did they help create the mess that is our economy, but through their government allies, they managed to profit from it at the expense of taxpayers.

The public is understandably upset. In days of yore, this would be a tarring and feathering event.

I am utterly stunned at the audacity of AIG. They have little concept of the political nightmare they've created--and for what? Money.

What astounds me more is the political response. Republicans are blocking the political backlash against AIG's stupidity and greed. In essence, Republicans are advocating stupidity and greed at the taxpayers' expense.

My suspicion: Republicans are guarding their Wall Street constituents. If the previous administration and its cronies in the legislative branch had not set the environment for this greed and de-regulation, AIG might never have gotten away with this. Besides, those on Wall Street are notoriously Republican-leaning and to hurt them would cause campaign coffers to dwindle, despite any pretexts offered to the contrary.

Arguing that failing to pay these bonuses will be bad for the economy is what most of us clearly see as bullshit clothed in fearmongering. It's nothing more than a bunch of greedy bastards using that old Bush tactic of scaring us out of wits so they can sneak up and screw us when we're not paying attention.

I got a news flash: The economy is already screwed so these bozos need to come down to reality.

The public outrage is justified. The rapid Congressional response is exactly what the founders had in mind when they created the House, viz., a body to reflect the passions of the electorate.

Making matters worse: The previous administration orchestrated this with the complicity of Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke. Can anyone please explain why Bernanke neglected to mention these bonuses months ago when he learned of them? He should be fired over such a colossal blunder, since he is touted as the wizard of our economy.

AIG should be forced into bankruptcy. Every entity getting paid by AIG needs disclosed.

Until all the greedy cockroaches see the light of day, this mess won't be clean and our economy won't heal.

We can either drag this out to our detriment or we can make it quick and clean.

I opt for Robespierre's method: Off with their heads.

Mortgage mess: Placing blame were it needs to go.

Here's an article from the usually right of center L.A. Times that places the blame for the mortgage crisis precisely where I said it should go in a previous post.

I worked closely with the mortgage industry over the past few years. I saw, first hand, how mortgage brokers and the banks underwriting their loans skirted the bounds of excess.

The incentives were to write as many loans as possible as quickly and as expediently as possible. The incentives weren't on the buyers. One mortgage company I worked with made cold calls every day to push loan products.

I was opposed to the bailout just for this reason.