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Forum Post: Democracy Now Interview: Matt Taibbi and the Super Rich . . .

Posted 9 years ago on April 17, 2014, 3:12 p.m. EST by ZenDogTroll (13032) from South Burlington, VT
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

In an interview with Amy Goodman | Democracy Now, and posted on Alternet.org, Matt Taibbi discusses his new book:

The SuperRich in America Have Become 'Untouchables' Who Don't Go to Prison

. . . this book grew out of my experience covering Wall Street. I’ve obviously been doing it since the crash in 2008. And over and over again, I would cover these very complex and often very socially destructive capers committed by white-collar criminals. And the punchline to all of the stories were basically the same: Nobody would get indicted; nobody went to jail. And after a while, I started to become interested specifically in that phenomenon. Why was there no enforcement of any of this? And around the time of the Occupy protest, I decided to write this book, and then I shifted my focus to try to learn a lot more for myself about who does go to jail in this country, because I thought you really can’t make this comparison accurately until you learn about both sides of the equation, because it’s actually much more grotesque to consider the non-enforcement of white-collar criminals when you do consider how incredibly aggressive law enforcement is with regard to everybody else.

And that is kinda what I've been saying. It leaves the public with only one option.

.

v

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Vigilantism

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MATT TAIBBI: Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I made the point in another case—there was another case involving a company called General Reinsurance where a bunch of executives were charged with a $750 million stock fraud, that that amount of fraud that year was more than the total value of all the cars stolen in the American Northeast that same year. So you think about everybody who’s doing time for a stolen car that year, and, you know, these guys ultimately got off on a technicality.



But what’s interesting—what’s symbolic about Richard Fuld is that here’s a guy who nearly blew up the planet by, you know, loading up his company with deadly leverage and making a string of irresponsible decisions to over-invest in subprime mortgages, and the collapse of the company resulted in all of us having to pay these enormous bailouts. But Fuld walked away with, by his count, $300 million, maybe $350 [million], but by the count of some others, more closer to half-a-billion dollars, and he kept the money. And that is a consistent theme of the financial crisis. Not only were these guys not prosecuted, they got to keep all of their money, all of the ill-gotten gains that they made during these periods.





Taibbi's book is titled: The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap

21 Comments

21 Comments


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[-] 3 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

''Why Corporate Criminals Don't Pay'', by Matt Taibbi (Video) :

Chis Hayes talks to Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi and discusses the inequality in the American justice system, where only the least powerful go to jail.

''This is a case that has everything. everything except an arrest. that struck some as odd, because in an 80-page document of court papers, the bank admits to almost going out of its way to act as a financial clearinghouse for international pariahs and drug dealers.''

radix omnium malorum est cupiditas ...

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[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

The day I need a fig leaf for the likes you, is the day you have gender reassignment surgery, lol. I have zero, zilch, zip need to ''convince you'' of anything but at least you get ... that there IS ''US intervention in Ukraine'', which is more than the majority of USers.

I'll be dealing with your shit extensively today but nope ''fkwad'', I put the Taibbi & DemocracyNow! links there because I (clearly somewhat naively) thought them relevant but you have now nicely reminded me whyTF I really ought never contribute to your threads.

You do try to over-think things but without recourse to any 'Non US MSM' sources and so end up tying yourself in knots. I actually don't give a flying fk what you ''believe'' - but seeing as you are so confused, you really and urgently, had better get a load of this :

fiat lux ...

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[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

The 'Illusion of Choice', huh ?! Keep thinking that the Corporate MSM are telling you ''the truth'' !! 'Cause that way you'll know that which you need to know, right ?!!!

The BBC is a propaganda arm of the UKG - despite its well crafted image for 'impartiality' and tho' 'The Guardian' has its moments, it's not beyond any reproach.

You really need to do something about your toilet mouth (I learnt ''fkwad'' from you lol) & if you spoke to me like that in the real world, I'd grab you by your beard with my left hand, break your jaw or cheekbone with a right cross (and possibly break my right hand too .. ouch & lol) and then snap your knee like you may break a branch against a wall with a stampy kick & then leave you in a gutter like a used condom.

However, violent fantasies aside ..... The US Media has never been more consolidated. 6 Media Giants now own a staggering 90% of what Americans read, watch or listen to and so also see :

RiP Gabriel Garcia Marquez btw.

et fallaces sunt rerum species ...

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[-] 3 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

You're A 'Merican' ! You also like Guns !! So, you'd probably bring one on Saturday !!!

But yeah, we seem to have a moment of agreement here .. re. ''what fukin ever'' and :

fiat pax ...

[-] 4 points by flip (7101) 9 years ago

great ows supporter here don't you think- issuing threats of violence and insults - foul mouthed insults at that. if he were in zuccotti park he would have been shut down so fast. that place was great - and a few here have made this site into a shithole of stupidity and very boring lame discussions. ok, I over did it but you now where I am coming from. since that little weasel reads all comments (because he doesn't have a life) I imagine he will respond to me - what do you think he might call me - can we guess? I like the line that he doesn't have time - that is all he has. maybe he is busy reading leaflets from the dnc and the Obama white house so he knows all the talking points

[-] 3 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

This site is NOT a ''shithole'' mate & I'd encourage you to Google and consider the concept of the 'agon' re. the need of some 'creative tension'. Don't vex and just soldier on - there's a Revolution to foment and inform & thus, courtesy of A4C, I append :

radix omnium malorum est cupiditas ...

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[-] 3 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

I can assure you that we have agreed on stuff in the past and will probably do so again. However we have now invested our egos in this ongoing spat so ''we're in for a penny and in for a pound'' here, lol ! You can't really want to just spend your whole time here with 'The DNC faction' can you ?!! ''Mountains out of molehills'', btw ... was you fixating on Pat Buchanan, lol !!! ChillTF out and have a nice ''Eostre'' :

pax ...

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[-] 4 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Here's a piece of advice in language you'll appreciate .. ''Fuck Off'' !!! Go do some research re. ''Victoria Nuland'' !! Subsequently, try to work out why she's in league with and encouraging people who love this guy : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepan_Bandera !!!

respice, adspice, prospice ...

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[-] 4 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

See what a Giant Shit Sandwich - YOU have made of this thread on a core OWS matter ?!!! Weak and repetitive, really isn't anything to be proud of or parade I suggest !! But I'll try to gently steer you back !

e tenebris, lux ...

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[-] 3 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Were you led ''astray'' ?! By who and when ?!! Does this really have more to do with childhood trips to Burlington Airport to shake Tricky Dicky's hand and was that really how you ended up voting for that Vt. Republican, Jim Jeffords ?!!!

Does this explain your zeal to distance yourself from your past ? Have you heard of the phrase - ''there are none more zealous than the converted'' ? Nothing to say about Matt Taibbi ? Sad really. You've had your chance and you fukt it.

Your desperately trying throw ''libertarian'' at anyone that you or the DNC faction here don't agree with is telling - especially when you also keep choosing to ignore just how very fkn Right Wing the Democraps have now so clearly become.

Watch this - especially Kshama Sawant (who you really love) re. a $15/hr living wage @ 15m 20s to try to remind yourself what OWS is about :

Observe the lady's crisp, clear, crystalline logic & think of The 99% NOT just the 1% loving Dem Pols !!!

ad iudicium ...

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[-] 4 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

I was not trying to rehabilitate PB, lolol but yes - I absolutely did copy one of his more recent 'Anti-War' pieces [ https://occupywallst.org/forum/this-is-hysterical/#comment-1028322 ] & it will be quite clear to all but the most parDisan knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathers why I did so.

This thread speaks for itself & in my final reply 2 u here, I leave as I came in, on a theme of Matt Taibbi :

You're not actually interested in The 99% ZD and I think that you're only trying to make up for your Right Wing upbringing and past and to try to work through your issues with your parents here. I am afraid that I can't help you with that any more.

In life we generally judge others by our own reality and standards so in your last question, you reveal far more about yourself than you realise. I mean after all, we all do know that you have 'worked the phones' for The Democratic Party in Vermont, right ? Ergo, I'll assume that you didn't quite do that for free, lolol.

verum ex absurdo ...

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[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Hmmm, ''alcoholics and drug addicts'' huh ?!!! It's interesting that you see fit to allude to that here !! Furthermore - I've warned you repeatedly about your language before and it impresses no one btw !

There are only few reasons or excuses to swear but that doesn't mean that there are non !!! Use it sparingly as it is so much more effective that way !! Now here's one place that it is warranted tho' .. https://occupywallst.org/forum/tiny-house-living-off-the-grid-heres-how-to-do-it-/#comment-1029037 !

multum in parvo ...