birdog1960

i think there are many good, honest, hard working, god loving americans. unfortunately, not many are in positions of power

just more evidence of who really controls things. when you cotrol culture, you, uh, control culture. you're a walking advertisement for the industrial military complex except... oh, wait...they don't want the publicity.

let me guess...you're a fan of nietzsche, have you noticed the horizon today? it's there.

happy days are here again! we are sodom and gomorrah? speak for yourself.

i'm going to risk being trite and open myself up to an even more furious attack: what about morals, ethics, right, wrong and Christian values so frequently cited as the source of strength in this country? don't they matter anymore? did they ever?

and the "rescue" may have been from a crisis of their own making. thanks so much, forever grateful and all that. wouldn't need philanthropy if things worked well from the start. do you favor anti competitive, monopolistic practices?

sorry. i missed this post and missed your earlier point about avg ceo pay from the global company's perspective, i agree with you. from the common man's perpective, i don't. i think this is very dangerous territory. the unmentioned elephant in the room here is anger at dishonesty and exploitation. if one looks at previous generations of robber barons, there were many good reasons for that title. does anyone imagine that a generation from now, we won't think the same of the current robber barons? i feel rewarding this behavior a colossal mistake. occasionally someone gets to the ultra high net worth category by brilliance, hard work, risk taking and fortitude. more often they get there through less honorable means or by the womb lottery (and yet. a poster rated complex derivatives trading as extremely valuable despite the recent melt down) i don't despise wealth. i despise the destructive and life destroying methods employed by so many to obtain and protect it.

where to start? yes capitalism = greed. despite what gordon gecko said greed is bad. even if all of these scary, terrible things aren't definitively causally related to capitalism (and i believe they are), the fact that they are present and worsening is an indictment of capitalism. and yes, i've read orwell's "animal farm". because people have been unable to remain true to the principles they espouse, should we not attempt to devise systems that better ensure that they do? hope is good.

sorry my hands and feet are sore, had to grab my nunchucks and pointy metal stars. who helped fund their war chests for reelection? where do there loyalties lie and why? taking greed out through election reform might help but the supremes go and make it worse!

and people profiteered through fannie and freddie. it wasn't mismanagement per se but greed

let's see...near depression, recession with persistent risk of double dip, decreasing real wages for average workers, unemployment>10%, national debt 40% GDP, massive bailouts of too big to fails, borrowing for all US expenses (most from a communist, socialist country) except social, security, medicare, medicaid and debt interest (yes that's right all other programs including 2 wars are being financed by loans). i'm tired and sad, is that enough....

yes they are imperfect but much closer to equitable wages than us. it is a global economy and will eventually require a global solution. (can't wait for the replies to that).

where would we be without BP? AIG? Countrywide? Bear stearns, Merrill? GM....

sure, the scandanavian countries are so much worse off than us right now and have no leadership.

yes, i'm suggesting a cap. unfettered, uncontrolled capitalism is failing and will continue to fail unless some reasonable limits are placed. i believe consensus could be reached on what is reasonable. Many factors could go into determining what someones skills are worth including rarity, value to society, need for incentives to pursue difficult career paths etc... it would be much better than the womb lottery and old boys network that often determines compensation now

there should be outrage. the average from the 1940's to 80's was 40x. 80 is obviously twice that. have ceo's become twice as good? twice as valuable? twice as productive? are they worth more than professionals in other fields with equivalent or more education and similar levels of responsibilities? There are very few lawyers or doctors (even neurosurgeons or heart surgeons) making anywhere near $2mil/year. do you think they're underpaid? i don't (and i'm one of those professionals). there's no shortage of applicants for professional school with remuneration set at more reasonable levels. ya think the best and brightest would give up the quest for CEOdom if they were gonna make only 40X average? I think 80X average is unjustifiable. it appears you don't.

yes, all fat people are evil. i hate them

mmmmm...this popcorn is delicious and nutritious

which one was rebecca? was she the kinda hot one who's now fat?

are you a real doctor or do you just play one on tv..er,i mean the internet. perhaps we could discuss the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of obsessive compulsive disorder.

.....or maybe not

agreed. i have some newly found sympathy for WEO. it was just a bad joke.

i fully understand the dynamics of battered wife syndrome but not the psychology. fight or flight are generally considered the most primitive survival instincts and in this case the victim chooses neither. i suppose it is a maladaptive, learned behavior. i don't feel like a battered wife in regards to the bills. this was a metaphor advanced by another poster to explain continued support for a disappointing character and i find it apt.

whose talking about "correct"? I said instinctual...but ok ,fight or flight..basic survival instincts...one gender more often chooses one option than the other, correct or not