Economy growing but recovery could be at risk

dr. hoagie
I was watching the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4

thanks for passing that on, but I have a couple questions.
What were the penalties imposed if a bank did not participate in risky lending?  Why was Bear Stearns the first to fall, what did they do differently then other banks?  Why did some banks not get hit as bad as others, and how did Lehman Brothers fail? And what did the housing crisis have to do with AIG, and now with CIT?
Why did Merrill Lynch have to get bought out over a quick weekend?  Why did Banks and Investors buy Fannie Mae’s loans?  Did someone force them to buy them? And where were the Credit Rating Agencies…like Moody’s…this video doesn’t even discuss this?
I am sorry I tried to watch it with an open mind but about half way through, I just couldn’t take the one sided blame game.  There was no talk of the law passed that allowed the 30 to 1 leverage of banks assets?  Why not, oh because that falls on the wrong side of the political equation they set up.

This video would be good if they didn’t focus so much on “the gov’t” being the problem.  Greed was the problem, and there was plenty to go around. To say that the banks that made these loans were just innocent bystanders and “forced” by the gov’t is silly.  They TOOK ADVANTAGE of BAD GOV’T policy, and made lots of money of it, that’s why they did it, and that why some banks failed and others didn’t…some were more greedy than others.
And what about those people that took the bad loans out?  They don’t share any responibility?
And what about “Speculators”...you know, have you seen any of those “get rich” quick real estate commercials lately showing you how to flip a dozen houses with no money down?
I appreciate the fact that Gov’t had bad policies and that gave an openning for abuse, but the people that abused the system need to take some blame also? Right, and not just a passing comment and a free pass.

To paraphrase some sage advice, “keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.“  a practice that is sure to be found out and exposed to your discredit - it would help to study their methods.

Known as the “father of modern American radicalism,“ Saul D. Alinsky developed strategies and tactics that take the enormous, unfocused emotional energy of grassroots groups and transform it into effective anti-govt and anti-corp activism. Activist org teach his ideas widely taught today as a set of model behaviors, and they use these principles to create an emotional commitment to victory - no matter what.

Grassroots pressure on large org. is reality, and there is every indication that it will grow. Because the conflicts manifest in high-profile public debate and often-panicked decision-making, studying Alinsky’s rules will help org develop counteractive strategies that can level the playing field.

Govt and corp have inherent weaknesses. And, time and again, they repeat mistakes that other large org have made, even repeating their OWN mistakes. Alinsky’s out-of-print book - “Rules for Radicals” - illustrates why opposition groups take on large org with utter glee, and why these govt and corp fail to win.

Large org have learned to stonewall and not empower activists. In other words, they try to ignore radical activists and are never as committed to victory as their opposition is committed to defeating them. Result? They are unprepared for the hailstorm of brutal tactics that severely damage their reputation and send them running with their tails between their legs.

Some of these rules are ruthless, but they work. Here are the rules to be aware of:

1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.“ Power is derived from 2 main sources - money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of where there is a plentiful supply. Govt and corp always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.

2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.“ It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone.Org under attack wonder why radicals don’t address the “real” issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.

6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.“ They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)

7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.“ Don’t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.
8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.“ Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)

9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.“ Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large org always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the org will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.“ Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)

11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.“ Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)

12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.“ Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.

My economic reference is the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm

ReConUSMC,

George Bush’s neo-cons hijacked the Republican Party during his 8 years.  Now every Republican is trying to prove his fiscal-conservative manhood by attacking any expenditure over $50.

It’s a phase.  Republicans will eventually get over it.

Anon is obviously Saul Alinsky’s or Bill Ayers drop off .He is a border line or closet Marxist since lies are his only facts.
10 to one he has never been in business ,run a Co or answered to a P& L adnhe lives off of mommy .
I find it hard to not think he is not Barney frank or Maxine Waters .