"Looting of America"

"Looting of America" Author Sees Opportunity in Meltdown

I've just interviewed Les Leopold, who blames the recent financial disasters on trends that began over 30 years ago, explains how a great deal of Wall Street's "investing" has had as much connection to the real economy as fantasy baseball has to baseball, diagnoses the failures of labor and the left to resist the financialization of the economy, views the current situation with genuine optimism as a rare moment in which we might be able to make necessary changes to regulate finance and to shift money from a tiny group of billionaires to the rest of society, and explains why that latter step is needed to stabilize any economy........

Les Leopold's Book: The Looting of America: How Wall Street's Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions, and Prosperity—and What We Can Do About It

"Where Everyone Knows Your Name....."

The faces of former Icelandic bankers adorn urinals in a bar



Reykjavik, Iceland, Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

Jocelyn's House Saved From Mortgage Auction

Now she has the time to Grieve for her Son, Killed in Iraq only a short time ago, Her Reality!!

I was just sent the following:

Friday was an historic day. At 11am, Jocelyne Voltaire was scheduled to lose her home in Queens Village, the home she had lived in for the past 20 years, the home where she raised her four children. Unable to keep up her skyrocketing mortgage payments, Jocelyne watched in horror as her home was put on the auction block. This amazing video clip by American News Project brought Jocelyn's plight to our attention.

At 9:05 am EST, we sent out an urgent call to our CODEPINK list. Our jaws dropped when we saw the response. Donations of $5, $25, $500, even $1,000! Within an hour, we had raised over $10,000. And the money kept pouring in, along with beautiful messages of support.

Jocelyne was moved to tears. And the mortgage bankers, with our immediate promise of $15,000 at 11am, were "moved" to stop the auction.

We did it!!! While our government has taken billions of our tax dollars to bail out the wealthy, we came together to bail out a desperate mother. Thanks to you, in one day we raised over $30,000 from 650 donors and showered Jocelyne with love and compassion. We modeled exactly what we want our government to do-bail out families facing personal disaster, not financiers.

Jocelyne still faces enormous hurdles, both financial and emotional. She has to pull herself out of a deep depression from the loss of her eldest son, a Marine who had served in the Gulf. She has to recover her health so she can start working again. She has to fix up her home so she can get renters to augment her income. And she still has to renegotiate her loan and make monthly mortgage payments.

But thanks to you, Jocelyne now has another chance. We found a wonderful pro-bono lawyer to help her battle the predatory lenders and restructure her loan. And after wiring the mortgage company $15,000, we will use the funds that keep coming in to help Jocelyne make her monthly payments and get back on her feet.

As we write, Jocelyne is feeling exhausted but renewed. She is ready to unpack the boxes she has been living out of for the past year. She now feels surrounded by people who want to lift her up, not toss her out. And she wants to use her experience to help others. At the press conference we held at the courthouse steps, surrounded by dozens of cameras, Jocelyne said: "To all of you facing similar disasters, don't be silent, don't be ashamed. Step forward and call out for help. That's what I did, and a miracle happened. These angels came to help me. We all have to pull together and help each other."

You are those angels and we at CODEPINK are in awe of you-your generosity, your compassion, your willingness to stand up for Main Street Americans. Now let's pull together in the coming months, as Jocelyne asked us to do, and move our government to do the same-bail out Main Street, not Wall Street.

Thanks for making miracles happen. Here's to Jocelyne, to you and to solidarity.

Dana, Deidra, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Medea, Nancy, and Rae

I had just woken from a nap, and was just going to post something, after doing abit of searching, about this. But I'll use the E announcement and see what else I can find.

This is the Video about what was happening:
Foreclosed Home Front: One Mother's Struggle

I had it in another post I've been trying to get up at my site, but the code change that the American News Project gives you to stop the video's from automatically starting doesn't work, so waiting to hear from them.

But I also had this in that post:

How Wall Street's Scam Artists......

The subject title is the first part of an Alternet post that finishes with Turned Home Mortgages Into Economic WMDs which is but a part of what brought about not only the collapsing economy here but in the money markets around the world, and in peoples lives.

The titans of high finance are trying desperately to shift blame for the crisis onto others, but this dead cat lies squarely on their doorstep.

And as we know more is coming out but still leaving most in a fog of what's coming, even the so called experts, most who put us here.

McClatchy and the American News Projecthave a series of video reports called Fallout on Main Street:

You can visit the McClatchy link to view a number of the Video reports.

And tonight, 10-18-08, as well as tomorrow, CNN introduces us to some of those who are playing the money game of the new capitalism that was created, top down, trickle down economy, on Wall Street.


CNN SIU: Fall of the Fat Cats

As the market tanked, the champagne flowed. CNN takes you inside the lives of Wall Street's rich and shameless. Watch an all new CNN SIU, Sat & Sun, 8 p.m. ET.

From the few cuts I've seen on this it looks to be interesting and rage invoking, lets hope those reporting aren't also caught up in the glitter of the false reality and give the straight facts about these folks, most knowing what they were doing but not caring as long as they came out with great wealth and lifestyles, burning that wealth, which when burnt doesn't trickle down, it just disappears.

War Profiteers, from cheney/bush On Down!

As Soldiers and Iraqi's are being Maimed and Killed!!

What The F**K, more about digging into the peoples treasury for fun and huge profits, and it's once again the food we're supplying to the troops in Iraq!

From the Wall Street Journal, Food Companies Face U.S. Probe Over Iraq Deals

It's great, ain't it, to have an economy the preznit can say is just humming along fine, it ain't, while it seems Everyone connected to his War of Choice are raking in the big bucks, All From Our Treasury, and propping up their bottom lines for their investors, thus keeping Wall Street humming along on the War Profits!!

Investigators from the Justice Department and the Defense Department are looking into deals that Perdue Farms Inc., Sara Lee Corp., ConAgra Foods Inc. and other U.S. companies made to supply the military, according to people involved in the inquiry. The companies made the deals with the help of former U.S. military procurement officials they hired as consultants or executives.

Doesn't that last sentence just warm your heart also, War Profiteering from former U.S. military procurement officials as well.

As Soldiers and Iraqi's are being Maimed and Killed!!

Where have I seen this picture before, Oh Ya 'Nam!

Public Warehousing Co. disclosed the federal investigation in two lawsuits filed in federal courts in Washington earlier this year.
• In this complaint the company contended that the Pentagon was blocking its pursuit of further contracts because of the investigation. A PWC executive states his position here. After a Federal Claims Court judge indicated he would side with the company, the Justice Department and Pentagon reached a settlement with the company granting most of its demands.

While Army officials deny that they designate vendors for food, an internal spreadsheet that Mr. Staples emailed to a vendor in 2006 names specific vendors for specific products.
In one of the most striking examples of the agency's selectivity, Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world's largest chicken producers, has been virtually shut out in the competition to supply the troops for the Iraq conflict. Much of the chicken supplies for Iraq and Kuwait are provided by Perdue and Pilgrim's Pride Inc.

When in the Hell are we going to start seeing Perp Walks of Government Officials and their Chummy Business Partners?

As Soldiers and Iraqi's are being Maimed and Killed!!

On This Christmas Day..

War Slogan Memorial

War Is GREAT For Wall Street

Wall St. Bonuses: So Much Money, Too Few Ferraris

$1,000 discount coupons for charter plane service

“It’s your own private jet,” says Ms. Clark with a smile. “You can go wherever you like.”

In recent weeks, immense riches have been rained upon the top bankers and traders. After a year of record profits, investment houses like Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley are awarding bonuses as high as $60 million. And a select group of hedge fund managers and private equity executives may be taking home even more.

$250,000 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Clients trying to spend $20 million on Manhattan properties
Buying $5 million apartments for their children

“We love hedge funds, they are our favorite people” Ms. Kleier said. “They don’t feel like the money is real and they don’t mind spending it — they don’t mind going up by $500,000 or $1 million increments.”

Private planes, or shares of them, are also on the rise

A typical price for a charter flight is $30,000.

The morning Goldman Sachs announced record fourth-quarter and 2006 earnings, Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and chief executive, implored his employees — many whom would directly benefit from the bountiful earnings — to avoid excess.
“As stewards of the firm’s reputation, I ask each of you to remember that our actions — inside and outside of the office — reflect on Goldman Sachs. Even a perception of arrogance hurts all of us,” he said in a voice mail sent to the entire firm.

Then, at 7:30 a.m., a black Mercedes pulled up, depositing Mr. Blankfein in front of Ms. Clark. The night before, he had been awarded a $53.4 million bonus.
She offered him a voucher. “How are you?” he said, smiling quickly but refusing the voucher.
“I guess he didn’t want it,” she lamented.

Guess he decided to let it ride for the Needy!

Christmas at War



Happy Christmas - war is over if you want it

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES

Happy Christmas (War is over if you want it)


6 U.S. Troops Die in Bloody Iraq Weekend

12,000 Iraqi Policemen Killed Since 2003, Official Says; 6 U.S. Soldiers Killed Over Weekend

How to Get More Boots on the Ground

In Some School Districts, More Teens Opt Out of the Military Recruiting Program

IRAQ:
Refugees Run From Violence to Deprivation

ARBIL, Dec. 24 (IPS) - Khanzad, 26, originally Kurdish, returned to Arbil with her family in mid-2004 after 16 years of living in Baghdad. Like many coming from the violence-stricken city, she has a harrowing story to tell.

Iraqi Hopes Dim Through Worst Year of Occupation

BAGHDAD, Dec 22 (IPS) - Despite promises from Iraqi and U.S. leaders that 2006 would bring improvement, Iraqis have suffered through the worst year in living memory, facing violence, fragmentation and a disintegrated economy.

Pentagon wants $99.7B more for wars

The Pentagon wants the White House to seek an additional $99.7 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iraqi Christians Celebrate Christmas

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Umm Salam draws her curtains across her windows, then settles into an armchair in a living room festooned with colored lights and a portrait of Jesus on the cross. Her Christmas tree glitters in the corner.

UK forces destroy police station in Basra

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - British forces killed seven gunmen and flattened the headquarters of the serious crimes unit in southern Basra on Monday after learning prisoners there were about to be executed, the British military said.

And While Wall Street Embrace They're Extreme New Wealth:

Homeless veterans move off the streets just in time for Christmas

SANTA CRUZ — Move over Santa Claus, this year's holiday do-gooders are the homebuilders who have been working double duty to move about a dozen homeless veterans into permanent housing in time for Christmas.

Group looks after homeless veterans

SAN FRANCISCO - A line of homeless war veterans waited along Howard Street on Wednesday afternoon, hoping to get in on an early Christmas present.

Initiative aims to keep returning vets off streets
Mayor and the V.A. team up in effort to provide services, permanent housing for those coming back from overseas

As the city braces for a new crop of military veterans who could struggle with emotional or substance abuse problems upon returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to place homeless veterans into permanent housing and to swiftly serve those at risk of becoming homeless.

Homeless for the holidays

According to statistics provided by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the VA estimates that there are about 200,000 homeless veterans; 45 percent are mentally ill and half suffer from substance abuse; and, Like Brown and Laney, the vast majority are single with little or no family support networks.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The Failed Policies will Haught Us and the World for Decades!
"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves." - Edward R. Murrow