sphinxy's Comments (56)

“i'm sorry too, but it does not diminish one ounce the amazing bit of history we are all a part of because of the election of obama. we will, little by little, brick by brick, arrive at a better place where intolerance and hatred are missing. be patient. this prop 8 will be tested and challenged and proven unconstitu­tional....­.and we'll have a different supreme court than we would have with mccain. the united states constitution guarantees rights, and a state constitution cannot override those rights. keep fighting the good fight. and keep caring. did you see jesse jackson's tears? did you see spike lee's tears? did you see oprah's tears? they never thought they would see a black man elected president of the united states in their lifetimes. never. and look! keep the faith, and keep fighting for what you know is right.”

“Obama's victory speech was relatively somber and heartfelt, and the elements of humility and quiet pride were evident in his words. I believe we can work towards becoming the greatest country in the world again without tooting our own horn about it all the d@mn time.”

“ROFL... are u kidding me. felt like a feather?

in 24 hrs...that too? ROFL”

“I don't know your age, but let me assure you of one thing. While you can always find a person willing to gamble their life away in any era, your belief that most post Great Depression Americans would have jumped at the chance to run up credit card debt in the 50s or 60s, is absurd.
I knew these people, and they looked at credit as a last resort. Not because it wasn't offered, but because they learned the lesson of pay as you go the hard way. Maybe you'll understand this as the economy continues to implode, and you have to make sacrifices you never dreamed of in the coming years.
As I stated before, I hold the credit industry responsible for their greed, and I'm very sypathetic to folks who were tricked into loans they couldn't hope to repay, but now is the time for EVERYONE, lender and lendee, to vow to act responsibly.”

“Wow, really? It seems to me like you're looking down from the top too. Last time I checked nobody was telling me anything of the sort. I made a few credit mistakes in college and my husband and I are still paying for them, so given the choice to spend MORE on top of what I'm paying now is just not appealing to me, so I don't think it's fair to group everyone together. I think that a lot of people are absolutely self-indulgent. Why pay $200 for jeans when you can get some for $15 dollars or pay $300 for a pair of shoes when you can get some for $40? Let alone buy a house 3 times bigger? Because these people want to be seen and cherished by those around them. Well, consequently, there are those of us can't afford the opulence. We lost nothing because we had nothing to begin with! We came from parents and grandparent who, given the opportunity and the money, still choose to go the cheapest route to save money. I actually feel fortunate to have made those early mistakes because, according to you, I would be in a panic right now.”

“While I agree with you about human nature being a constant, I believe you are wrong in your assertion that families in the 50s would have spent themselves into oblivion given the chance. The reason they wouldn't have done so is because they'd just been through a little thing called the Great Depression. Experience can modify human behavior. I think that is the point Jamie is making. We need to learn from this debacle, and vow to never let it happen again.
I grew up in the 50s, and you couldn't have talked most adults I knew then into risky credit purchases at gunpoint. I completely agree with you about the responsibility of the lenders, and about the tactics they used to lure people into keeping up with the Jones' by overextending themselves, but people have a personal responsibilty in this as well. If we don't accept that responsibility in the same way the folks who lived through the Great Depression did, we're doomed to repeat it.”

“Telling it like it is - yeah!”

“I've posted the above comment twice tonight. My apologies. I've actually tried to post several comments, disagreeing with Jamie, about ten times tonight, but the HuffPost editors kept deleting them. Again, sorry for the duplicate.”

“Great writing, Jamie.

Unfortunately, comments like the above reveal what's wrong with the progressive brand. High moral dudgeon masking the face of envy, when all is said and done. "You still have too much" ... can only be said by someone who is at rock bottom -- and I dare say they're not sitting behind a computer.

All those who "look up in anger", the 2006 median income types who paid 6.3% tax, according to gov't figures, see those over $200K paying 22.8% and say, "Not enough, soak the rich." Well, if they looked down, they would see, what, 20% of the country who probably think those above have it too good. Rich is relative. And it should not be measured only in money.”

“Add to this that the Keating of America ( Part I) under the direction of John McCain, has barely been addressed by journalists concerning McCain, at the time he exercised POOR JUDGMENT, had financial holdings that CINDY MCCAIN's family shared with Keating.

In the summary of why S. Palin abused her position as governor in violating Alaska's ethics law, a main point concerned the fact that Palin had used her office ( governor) to personally BENEFIT from actions that she sought to take ( getting rid of her brother in law was going to make her entire family happy).

John McCain used his position as a United States Senator, to pressure regulators to STAND DOWN on REGULATING Mr. Keating. That action had the end result of leading towards thousands of Americans being UNPROTECTED, while McCain's business holdings with Keating, and Keating himself, both stood to PROFIT in the most disgusting way imaginable ( off the backs of 20,000 Americans who were robbed by Keatings' FRAUD, which - in effect, McCain was protecting­.)

THAT CONDUCT, involving a major CONFLICT OF INTEREST for McCain, in which McCain stood to PROFIT ($$ contributions + personal investments with Keating) at the EXPENSE of the tax payer, has barely been addressed by the media. John McCain violated the public's trust, and journalists want to paint this as being a NON-ISSUE IN THIS ELECTION!

WHY should Americans trust John McCain to uphold the people's trust, when McCain has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted?”

“Jamie, I think your just as disconnected as the ones who got us into this mess. You see it from above. Your words are the kind of words the rich and secure always impart to the masses when they've been cheated, to quell their anger. "Here's a little prayer you can say. It will help. Here's what you should have been doing. Here's what you should do from now on. After all, it's your fault. You'll just have to do with less and be thankful for it." We don't need that lecture right now. Until recently, we could rely on a bank or lender to evaluate whether we qualified for a mortgage or credit to buy that TV. They have not only lied to us for their own selfish reasons, they have enticed us, convinced us, and then hid their crimes in the small print. The government and the corporations are complicit. And, as always, the masses, us, pay the price. Too many are trying to convince us that our own self-indulgence got us into this mess. Don't help perpetuate the lie. I know your intentions for writing this were good. But you say "YOU" are not alone in the abyss. Millions of Americans are in there with "YOU." Jamie, if you haven't lost everything, don't console those who have. You're too distant from the bottom to understand it. Your attempt sounds more like pity. And pity is wasted on the angry.”

“Absolutely agree. Excellent post.”

“A very fine post, Sphinxy. I have struggled with the same issues, but Obama's pragmatism and intelligence suggest to me that once he gets the job, as you say, he can revisit and undo FISA and work on honing the bailout. The alternative candidate is eminently unqualified to hold any office in the land.”

“The last statement you made about Michelle or any other wife for that matter is so true.”

“Oh yes I share your feelings. Just the thought of Sarah Palin possibly being second in command or first also is very scary. I really never been into politics but this is the first election I actually really been following this closely. We are in a very risky situation if McCain and Palin make it to the White House.”