Nobody with power gives a shit about your pathetic life, part 8,264

[MannyGoldstein]

Morgan Stanley connives with electricity generators to scam $300 million from consumers.

Morgan Stanley makes $21.6 million from the scam.

Department of "Justice" only asks for $4.8 million fine.

Judge says "This sucks, DOJ should have asked for more but since they didn't I'll OK this."

Morgan Stanley pockets $16.8 million. The $4.8 million goes to Treasury, where it helps keep taxes on the wealthiest Americans at one-third of what they used to be. And you, my friend, are fucked again. Fucked again, and nobody cares. Nobody with power anyway.

Enjoy your cat food, schmucks! Your ass is getting Grand Bargained right after the election!

The Way We Are Screwed... And How Come Nobody Goes To Jail ???

[samsingh]

1. Costco just publically supported President Obama. That's cool.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Given the alternative, so do I. nt

[HiPointDem]

18. it's obama's doj that gave morgan it's 78% profit on crime. and gave nothing to the ratepayers who

were robbed of 300 million.

but as long as obama gets elected, all is well.

[RobertEarl]

3. You're cruel

Don't you realize there are people out there who through their whole lives have believed that the PTB actually do care about them?

And here you are telling them the truth. Shame!

[MannyGoldstein]

4. I'm hoping that one of these days, some folks

will wake up and say "Oh! My head is being used for batting practice. I think I should do something about this.".

[Zorra]

7. We're waiting...

[Zalatix]

12. People ARE waking up. Case in point:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021099251

[woo me with science]

21. Maybe it's all the concussions. nt

[WillyT]

5. Yep...

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Many thanks for posting this originally

People ought to know what's being done tomthem.

[WillyT]

16. Rock On, My Brother !!!

[YoungDemCA]

8. It's so demoralizing

They are laughing at us, as we grow more and more powerless to stop them.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. As long as we have the vote, we have the power

And I believe that, fundamentally, our ability to create change through voting is still intact.

But we need to wake up and vote smart.

[seanpencil]

15. may i ask

respectfully, why you think that "fundamentally, our ability to create change through voting is still intact"?

[HiPointDem]

19. you've got to be kidding. past the local level, all candidates belong to the party of capital and

suck the boots of capital.

what would "voting smart" look like in such a situation?

[woo me with science]

22. It is necessary to hurry.

We have two corporate candidates, so voting all by itself is not going to bring change in direction. But as long as they NEED our vote and our general acquiescence to the political process, we still have some leverage to force policy change through protest.

Protests on SOPA mattered, at least briefly. Occupy got them to change the rhetoric, if not the policies. There is some responsiveness when the people start to rumble, and we have not even begun to rumble as loudly as we are capable of rumbling. They spend most of their time and money trying to keep us ignorant of and distracted from what they are doing, because their power, at this point, still depends on a brainwashed public that watches the MSM and believes that they are doing the best they can on our behalf. There are a hell of a lot more of us than them, and they know it.

But they are building surveillance systems and domestic police armies and prisons now, and passing laws that make it possible to pick up anyone suspected of being a threat in some vague way. If we are going to use this leverage, we had better damned well do it soon.

[midnight]

31. No more faith based voting- count the votes in public and not via private source code....

[flobee1]

28. the election has already been decided

and WE have lost

big oil and gas, big pharma, and the monsanto crime family have already paid the people they need to pay to make sure business as usual continues unhindered.
The Obama/Romney race is nothing more than entertainment at this point and works to draw attention away from the massive amounts of money going to the obscenely rich.
The frackers can now just take the land they need, pharma and monsanto are putting god knows what in their products and can wrap anyone who questions or objects in red tape, and still make a profit.

the politicians are owned, the news channels are paid to feed us news the payers want us to see, we don't even hear music on the radio that isn't pre approved by the moneyholders.

and no, I don't know what the solution is.
is there even a solution?

[SammyWinstonJack]

63. This is what I believe, too. It's already been decided and not in favor of the 99%.

[tavalon]

43. Sadly, my virginity around that belief is long gone

I vote because it's what I do. I no longer believe the system is even remotely uncompromised. It's not quite Soviet Union compromised but when President Carter is requesting international overseeing of our voting system, that really says something to me.

[Doctor_J]

53. Stop with the sarcasm 3rd Way

OP was terrific. Your vote means next to nothing.

[Egalitarian Thug]

9. Well, they missed the first 8,263 incidents, so I'm a little skeptical that this is the one

they'll get. But as always, I'm desperately hoping to be completely wrong.

[DeSwiss]

11. K&R

[sabrina 1]

24. I love that cartoon!

Because is so true. You should just make it an OP all by itself.

[DeSwiss]

50. Alex Schaefer who painted this:

link

Recently began writing the words:

[center][font size=3 color=red]THIEF![/font] and [font size=3 color=green]CROOKS![/font] and [font size=3 color=blue]GREED![/font] [/center]

....in chalk on the sidewalk outside Chase Bank. They arrested him for vandalism. He sent 12 hours in jail before he made bail and he commented - ''I've spent more time in prison than any of the bankers who crashed the world economy through their fraud.''

[Marr]

13. Yep, "Grand Bargain" is going to be hot new political product (again) once the election is over.

[seanpencil]

14. so what's your point?

[kenny blankenship]

17. if that story tickles you, you may enjoy this one as well.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/regulation/story/2012-08-10/justice-department-goldman-sachs/56924170/1

Government won't prosecute Goldman Sachs in probe

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department said Thursday it won't prosecute Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs or its employees in a financial fraud probe.

The Justice Department's decision capped a good day for Goldman as the Securities and Exchange Commission decided not to file charges against the firm over a $1.3 billion subprime mortgage portfolio. At the same time, the Justice Department's decision ensured that the Obama administration will continue to feel political heat, particularly from the liberal wing of the president's own party, for not having brought more prosecutions in the financial crisis.

The Senate panel probe turned up company emails showing Goldman employees deriding complex mortgage securities sold to banks and other investors as "junk" and "crap."

Levin questioned the accuracy of testimony Goldman Sachs executives gave to Congress about whether the firm steered investors toward mortgage securities it knew likely would fail.

So GS steered investors like pension funds and municipalities into securities they knew were "crap" and "junk" -and secretly bet against them- and the "Justice" Dept can't see the fraud case staring them in the face.

That harsh abrasive sound you hear are rich bankers and their Obama Administration flunkies laughing in your faces.

[sabrina 1]

25. I wish I hadn't read that. This alone should have people out on the streets with pitchforks.

I actually thought that there would be some justice for what they did, don't know why I keep hoping like that. Especially since the President said that there was no crime, just a little immorality. From now I will remember that and expect nothing.

That is a disgrace. Imagine an ordinary person doing what they did on a much smaller scale. It was a con job, a Ponzi scheme. The ordinary person would have been arrested, charged and convicted.

Goldman Sachs Rules!

Obviously.

[Dragonfli]

37. They are busy prosecuting "real crime" like my sister who was just charged with a felony for

shoplifting food in Florida.

In her 50 years, this is the first time she has ever broken a law. She should have made stone soup instead I guess.

She will likely die soon anyway, as the Obama's and the Romney's of the world would prefer, with systemic lupus and a series of heart attacks and strokes that have plagued her the past two years, she is the type of criminal that must be hounded until death, she is not "real people" like rich folks are. Just ask Obama or Romney, they both felate bankers and berate the poor.

I am glad Romney was lying about the welfare thing, it is good to know both parties kick the poor equally, I was worried that Obama may have given a shit for almost five minutes before that was all cleared up for me.

[sabrina 1]

41. Dragonfli, I am so sorry about your sister.

That is so sad. If it is her offense, and considering her medical condition a good attorney should be able to get this charge dismissed maybe with some community service or simply by repaying the cost of the food.

If only the law was applied equally in this country. But unfortunately for now, it is not.

My heart goes out to you and your sister, I will keep her in my thoughts.

[MannyGoldstein]

33. Marvelous

thanks, I think.

[sendero]

36. I certainly prefer Obama over that fuckstick...

.... but Obama is in the banker's pockets just like the Republicans are. These sorts of decisions are infuriating and there is simply no other plausible explanation.

[WillyT]

51. Yeah... I Found This Passage From Reuters Particularly Infuriating...

The statement from the Justice Department said that officials there "have determined that, based on the law and evidence as they exist at this time, there is not a viable basis to bring a criminal prosecution with respect to Goldman Sachs or its employees in regard to the allegations set forth in the report" from Levin's subcommittee.

Justice Department investigators and prosecutors worked on their inquiry for "more than a year," the statement said.

Those working on the inquiry included officials in the department's Criminal Division and in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, the statement said.

They "ultimately concluded that the burden of proof to bring a criminal case could not be met based on the law and facts as they exist at this time," the statement continued.

"If any additional or new evidence emerges, today's assessment does not prevent the department from reviewing such evidence and making a different determination, if warranted," the statement said.

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/09/us-usa-goldman-no-charges-idUSBRE8781LA20120809

[pscot]

57. Yeah, but they sure nailed Roger Clemons

[woo me with science]

20. Kicked and recced to the fucking moon. nt

[cali]

23. My Senator has power. Yes, I think Bernie gives a shit

and for that matter I think my rep and my guv do too.

[MannyGoldstein]

39. I'm certain that Bernie gives a shit.

Power, I'm not so sure of.

That being said, your state is doing great stuff, and proves my thesis wrong. My Commonwealth is not bad, either. But f most of the rest of the country... not so good.

[Doctor_J]

55. Bernie definitely cares

as for having power,...not so much

[cali]

61. oh bernie has power

look at his record in the House and Senate and you'll see. Furthermore, my guv ran on single payer and won and he has power in his sphere and so does Shep Smith, the Leader of the VT House, etc. Of course it's only localized power in the case of Vermont politicians, but it's forging a place that's different than the rest of the country.

[Doctor_J]

62. The governor has power.

Bernie does not. Even with a Dem House, Dem president, and 59 Dem senators, almost no progressive legislation was passed in 2 years. If you listen to Bernie on Hartmann's Friday program, most of the things he (Sanders) believes in are nowhere close to becoming a reality. Glen Beck has far more power than Sanders does.

[loansstore]

26. Nice

Nice Share I absolutely read this first time

Thanks

[xchrom]

27. du rec. nt

[geckosfeet]

29. Funny how that works. Fines are a the cost of doing busness, a kind of tax,

the kind that pays off and buys the government.

[midnight]

30. Thanks Manny, for thinking beyond the election....

[Le Taz Hot]

32. K & R n/t

[progressoid]

34. Oh just be patient.

It's gonna trickle down any day now.

[sendero]

35. Until..

... the fines are greater (should be several times) the gain and the main perps are sent to prison this crap will continue.

The level of pure corruption in this country is stunning and I don't think most people have the slightest idea it is happening.

[Octafish]

38. Department of Just Us.

Works for the 1-percent's 1-percent. Lovely families - a good small number of whom actually are citizens.

[Solly Mack]

40. Damn

[hunter]

42. If I rob a bank of $300 million, keep the money, and only have to pay a $4.8 million fine...

...when I'm caught, hell, I'd do it again the next day.

I might do it every day.

[MannyGoldstein]

48. Ya think?

Unbelievable.

[just1voice]

44. But, but everyone will set up free health care exchanges for all!!!

Just because they care so much!

[woo me with science]

45. kick

[TheKentuckian]

46. K&R

[coalition_unwilling]

47. Emphatic K&R! - n/t

[Agony]

49. Kick

[OnyxCollie]

52. This is an election year.

That kind of talk should be verboten.

Do you want the bad guys to win?

Seriously, though. We're fucked.

Maybe I could start an "American Spring" if I could afford a gallon of gas.

K&R.

[Doctor_J]

54. If I were Romey I'd start running ads featuring Holder

He is a disgrace.

[fascisthunter]

56. But Manny... when we kiss their ass, they smile

it must mean something meaningful.... same way a whore shows it's client any real empathy.

[moondust]

58. But are they actively trying to "thin the herd"?

[raouldukelives]

59. The ones without power don't care either.

Well, maybe a tiny percentage. It's easy to find people who are against climate change, war, pollution and the corporate takeover of our government.
Very hard to find people not willing to join in and profit and propagate the issues by supporting Wall St everyday.

[TBF]

60. They don't give a fuck about you ...

Carlin's rant: