The Height of Irresponsibility

I stumbled across three separate, yet jarringly interrelated, news articles from different countries: Australia, France and the United Kingdom. All three sparked thoughts regarding the relationship between free-market capitalism and democracy.

While the Australian Prime Minister is calling for a new form of social capitalism, French and British workers are protesting amidst a climate of stagnant wages, job losses and an increasing cost of living.“People had the feeling they were paying for a crisis they were not responsible for,” said a French union leader. To an extent, he is absolutely right. The taxpaying British and French people, like Americans, are paying to bailout banks – all for a supposed level of global stability?

I argue there was never global economic stability’ it was a system propped by greed and speculation. Regardless, the result is simple: Many ordinary global citizens are losing their jobs and savings because of the debacle on Wall Street and the decisions of a few.
This level of uber-capitalism has created a genuine disconnect between the mighty elites and will likely lead the western world down the road to socialism. As things get worse, people’s trust of capitalism will wane, and they will become more reliant on the government.

Unless the general economic status of America perks up, civil unrest will likely spread across – and I cannot blame likely protestors. Their savings and livelihoods are being taken and redistributed to Wall Street and poor decision making corporate elites.

Even as a solid believer in the wealth creating system of capitalism, it is very angering to see recently bailed-out executives spending like drunken sailors ($16,000 for a shower curtain or $20 billion in bonuses or Auto Exec’s taking private jets to bailout hearings?) Do these drunken sailors have no connection to the working class anymore?

I think President Obama should keep Guantanamo Bay open for the use of disposing Wall Street executives. Keep Guantanamo Jail open for these terrorists. They spend taxpayer’s money without regard of anything. I consider them as economic terrorists.

What is most concerning is the lack of humanity present. Yet, I am wondering, why aren’t the streets filled with people? In extreme cases like such, shall we not go back to the days of ‘tar and feather’ and ‘public humiliation’?

On a painfully obvious note; and like most things in life, the Onion mocked it best: Why is your company going bankrupt? “Citigroup— Bet tens of billions of dollars that people with no verifiable income could afford expensive houses, which, when you think about it, was pretty stupid.”