"Mistakes were made" ............

[Stinky The Clown]

..... is the proffered wisdom to explain the current financial crisis.

But that statement is morally untrue.

"Crimes were committed" is, for the most part, factually untrue.

But *that* statement is morally *true*.

[cliffordu]

1. K&R.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. The people need to hear what the crimes were because they don't know

[raccoon]

3. Doncha just love the passive tense, when no one wants to accept responsibility for a big fubar? nt

[Avalux]

4. They weren't mistakes because they were intentional.

I work in clinical research, and using the word "inadvertently" in this business will get you crucified. There is a protocol to follow and very strict regulations, so if something doesn't get done or is done incorrectly, it's not a mere mistake. There is accountability and steps are taken to make sure it doesn't happen again.

My point is that a statement like that is made and there's no accountability whatsoever. Call it whatever you like - the financial crisis did not occur because innocent mistakes were made.

[Warpy]

6. People will be suckers for right wing dogma

until we start teaching the critical flaws within that dogma to our kids.

People will buy the line that deregulation streamlines business and provides greater prosperity if they're not taught that regulation is in there to keep thieves more honest and curb the appetites of the predators.

People will buy the line that cutting taxes on the wealthy will increase investment if they're not taught that cutting taxes on the wealthy increases them on the rest of us and results in a gradual slowing of the money pump until the whole economy collapses.

People will fall into the trap of "buy now, pay later, a dollar down and a dollar a week until you die" unless they're taught that jobs and wages can be temporary conditions while debt is a permanent one.

People will fall into the trap of supporting a moneyed class at all costs unless they are taught that moneyed class will cry poverty with every dime they spend, no matter if they have enough money for a million lifetimes. They need to know the moneyed class will scream over taxes even when those taxes are at historical lows, so we might as well tax them commensurate with the benefits they receive and let them scream.

People will be suckered into believing that jobs are handed out like welfare projects and that working people should be grateful for work and a pittance in pay unless they are taught that no rich man ever gave a job to anybody unless he had a bunch of poor men with money in their pockets waiting for what that job would produce. Working people drive this economy and always have and that needs to be taught above all.

Bottom line? People will continue to be chumps and fall for this stuff periodically unless they are taught better. Since the schools are afraid to teach our kids, it's up to us to make sure they know all this and that they teach our grandkids.

Chumps will always be among us. It's up to us to reduce their numbers in the future.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Warpy, that ought to be its own OP!!!

An absolutely perfect summation!

[Avalux]

8. Great post! We must teach our children.

It is human nature to take the easy path and there's always those who exploit it. It's been happening way too long in this country.

Have you seen this? Well worth the watch:

www.storyofstuff.com

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

5. No, mistakes *were* made.

The people who voted for Bush and helped put him in office made a horrible, horrible mistake.

[ihavenobias]

9. K & R. n/t

[AwakeAtLast]

10. If I make a mistake at my job I could be fired

The financial 'wizards'? Eh, not so much. :grr:

[Gormy Cuss]

11. Either way, no one is held accountable with that construction.

Who made the mistakes? Who committed the crimes?