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This week, the SEC settled its fraud case against Goldman Sachs for $550 million (Four days' worth of Goldman's 2009 revenues), without the banking giant having to admit legal wrongdoing or fire any senior executives. On the same day, Congress passed a financial reform bill that left Wall Street's too big to fail banks bigger and more powerful than ever. Also gaining power: Tim Geithner, who continued to carry Wall Street's water by letting it be known behind the scenes that he opposes making Elizabeth Warren head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Elsewhere, a federal appeals court ruled that uttering a fleeting expletive on TV wasn't obscene. If only an appeals court could do something about the obscenity of the Supreme Court allowing corporations to spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns. Another obscenity in the news: word that more American soldiers killed themselves last month than any month on record.

 
 
 

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JohnBryansFontaine
Liberal Democrat
09:50 PM on 07/24/2010
Thank you Ms. Huffington, for providing this incredible agora of Free Speech and ideas.
10:26 PM on 07/18/2010
Thank you Arianna for caring about our troops.
So few in the media do.
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10:21 PM on 07/18/2010
TOO MANY CEOs AND TOO FEW WORKERS
Too much of the middle class believe they are in the same social club with Goldman Sacks and that these delusional Republicans are blaming their high taxes are used to support the those on entitlement programs, programs that are actually paid for with workman's Social Security contributions.

And these supporters are ignorant that SS Surplus funds have been used for running the government instead of taxing the the super rich to help run the government.

Another aspect the Supporters of the super rich seem to ignore, is that the super rich very often end up paying less taxes through the legal loopholes their high priced accountants manage to manipulate through.

Two reasons why these middle class workers support the Super Rich Bankers: Either they are Convinced that the Trickle Down theory works for the working Middle Class and their jobs depend on giving the rich tax breaks they will invest to create jobs OR they think that they that someday they will be among the Super Rich and can take advantage of income tax holes.

Fifty years ago it was possible to get rich working, but today it is virtuously impossible to even rise to the Middle Class. College Students are applying for jobs in China, because all the good paying industries has been outsourced starting with NAFTRA, which was promoted by the Clinton Administration.

Why is our congress using our tax money to pay industries to move out of our country ?.
10:52 PM on 07/18/2010
very good post Uncle Joe
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breakingpoint
War is a Racket - Smedley Butler
09:35 PM on 07/18/2010
Here's the short list,
http://financialterrorists.wordpress.com
but most egregious

join the project - help fill in the blanks.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ultrabop
when bop isn't enough
09:30 PM on 07/18/2010
the news media is coming from so many sources these days that you don't know who to believe anymore.

Rolling Stone Mag wins by default. Hunter S. Thompson shall not have died in vain.
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09:27 PM on 07/18/2010
Happy belated birthday, Ariana.
08:30 PM on 07/18/2010
Well it is pretty clear that our two party system is long outdated as is referring to our country as a Capitalist society. How any elected official in this country sleeps at night is completely beyond my comprehension. The system is totally broken. Even if a candidate with altruistic intentions gets elected the system prohibits them from having an impact. It is naive to believe that any politician with the power to vote on or make policy has the interest of the voter in mind. We see it every day that some form of payment or favor is made to gain the support of persons with a vote. The amount of money that was built into the TARP bailouts is sickening. I cannot begin to express my disgust and disdain towards a government that continues to profess to be 'for the people'. Our elected officials become a band of gutless people that are selling out the American people for personal gain of profit and power. Of course that's just my opinion.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ultrabop
when bop isn't enough
09:22 PM on 07/18/2010
You may be right. There seems to be more at stake than what politicians are letting on. They can't be so naive as to think their constituents don't know what's going on. They don't seem to care because they are making short term money? Hard to believe that they are investing in the end of the world.

you would think the gulf of Mexico burning alive would be a warning signal to them that everybody including them will be at risk?
10:16 PM on 07/18/2010
AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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08:21 PM on 07/18/2010
Good Summary,

If you watch 'establishment' news or CNBS, you'd think we're in recovery and Goldman Sachs has been persecuted by government.
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wonketteRAWKS
Hypocrisy is prevalent in BOTH parties!
08:13 PM on 07/18/2010
I hope when they are promoting this Financial "Reform" Bill they come back and read this article.
Apparently, for this administration, the word "reform" clearly means minimal enough to call it historical and unprecedented when it really does very very little.
iconoclast1
give truth a chance
08:41 PM on 07/18/2010
We've gotten far off the track of representative democracy. Our failing democracy has been poisoned at both ends: pandering to the people (tax cuts, governing to opinion polls) and pandering to moneyed interests (especially Big Business).
08:03 PM on 07/18/2010
It's time Tim "Go off the Bus", Elizabeth is probably one of the best things that could happen to this country, someone who cares about the average Joe! Tim sure doesn't!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Michael Valentine
Retired SEIU Member
08:11 PM on 07/18/2010
I'm looking at the Green Party after voting Democrat since 1972 when I voted for McGovern. I'm still that same liberal but the party went Republican lite.
10:23 PM on 07/18/2010
After thinking about it for many elections I too am changing parties. Obama has been my last betrayaland the supreme court decision to allow corperations to donate unlimited to political parties was the final nail. Green Party heh yeah maybe
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Pammy1151
I just use my common sense.
08:12 PM on 07/18/2010
I agree with you and let's hope she gets the job.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
EdinFL
It is what it is.
07:52 PM on 07/18/2010
Thank you Arianna, you sure know how to ruin a Sunday. Some of these things we should never forgive or forget. Too big to fail still too big to fail? Soldiers committing suicide and no one cares? Goldman is allowed to go back for more? We definitely need new leadership and a new commitment. I just don't know where it's going to come from. Not from the Tea Partiers, not from the gutless Republicans, not from Lady Hillary. What a time for a new political party.
07:48 PM on 07/18/2010
Another Democratic triangulator-in-chief.

We are disappearing in the Barbama Triangle.
10:32 PM on 07/18/2010
It's so true. Obama is a big insult to our collective intelligence. I don't think this guys ever fixed anything in his life because he doesn't know the meaning of the word. It's all half ass bandaids which do NOTHING.
10:57 PM on 07/18/2010
as republicans fiddle in the senate .................
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ultrabop
when bop isn't enough
08:26 AM on 07/19/2010
I keep thinking the same thing.
iconoclast1
give truth a chance
07:32 PM on 07/18/2010
Of course all of the problems mentioned by Arianna, and most of the problems in America today, derive from the same cause: reckless capitalism. The military-industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about 50 years ago gets its power from the aggregated profit motives of military businesses. Since more war means more revenue to these businesses, the goal becomes scaring the Pentagon with a host of false threats (e.g., the domino theory of North Vietnam).

Warren is loathed by the GOP for the very same reason she would be perfect to head the CFPB. She would be on the side of the "small people." So she doesn't have a chance among the centrists and compromisers of the Obama administration.

Goldman Sachs gets off easy because we wouldn't want to rein in the Wall Street casinos in the midst of a nascent recovery. Wall Street's recklessness is viewed as less of a problem than (gulp!) losing market share to foreign financial centers. It's a race to the bottom. Whoever gets there first gets to take credit for destroying the world economy. We almost got to take the prize in 2008 when Paulson said that "raw capitalism is dead," but boatloads of fiscal and monetary stimulus staved off a worldwide depression.

The only true savior of capitalism is responsible capitalism. As long as businesses think it is a right to pursue the profit motive, no matter the consequences, and as long as Americans acquiesce, it will only get worse.
07:27 PM on 07/18/2010
OK... Trying again, without the angst. What should happen is.. Obama should go back to the court and say "Unacceptable"! He should demand they at least pay for the Unemployment extensions. Is that better?
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Pammy1151
I just use my common sense.
08:11 PM on 07/18/2010
Nice if it were that easy. I don't think it is. People are blaming Obama when I feel that the majority of the problem in with the Congress. Even when the numbers said 60 we didn't actually have 60. Between the Republicans and the Blue Dogs there was no way any decent legislation would pass. I think many of us had unrealistic expectations of the president and a dems after the election. Arianna is fighting the good fight.
10:32 PM on 07/18/2010
I agree that people are blaming our President when we should be demonstrating our support for what we want for our nation. I just returned from Fort Sam . A friend who served in the army when our troops invaded Bagdad for GW, could no longer live with the memories.
He left a young wife and 2 children.
Every American should be required to attend one military funeral-all those white crosses, row on row.
I live in Texas. I see every day our future if Republicans take over this fall.
You may be unhappy right now, but trust me, things will only get worst if the Dems lose.
Why aren't we( I include myself) showing our support of what we want our President and
Congress to get done for us. I see the tea people but not our people.Ms. Warren would be great. Let's show our support for her. Do we want to end drilling? Then get out in the streets and let
your voices be heard.We need jobs. Business has been sending them over seas since the
1990's. Now business is letting it be know they do not respect our President and are waiting it
out so the Repubs. return for business as usual. Is this what we want? I know I do not. So let's march for jobs, let it be known there are plenty of us who voted for change and we will work for
this change. But it is up to us folks.
07:17 PM on 07/18/2010
The Bankers Now Own the world.

really, check the link.

The banksters stole all the money out of the system.

The banksters robbed us.

Swaps are a fraud.

Swaps are a Ponzi scheme.

Swaps now dominate the world financial economy.

The people lost, the republic lost.

prepare for the pain.

prepare for millions going homeless, and dying on the streets.

The Banksters have won.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/what_would_fdr_do.html

But it's too late.

And the SEC fined them a couple of percent of their stolen Booty.

We needed FDR again, but this time the Bankers won.”
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Stokes
09:25 PM on 07/18/2010
Regulation by this group will come forth with nauseous increases of greed, graft, fraud and all of the things needful to control the world and demoralize the population. ( I posted this comment on June 17, 2009)