The Old Gentleman
A simple observation concerning our current “crisis” based upon a value system that seems to have dissolved.
During the Depression (1929) not (2008), my Great Grandfather, on my Mother’s side of the family was a Board Member of the local Farmer’s Bank in a small town in Iowa.
When everything started evaporating and most of the other Board Members were grabbing their money and running, he stayed and paid out every dime of his own money attempting to cover as many of the Bank customers as was possible. He spent the last years of his life living in a room above a local store.
He was known as “The Old Gentleman” among people of that town.
Now I grant you in this age of pragmatism and “realism” that action would be considered foolish and impractical. His actions were honorable and honest and responsible – something that is dreadfully lacking in what is transpiring currently.
The rhetorical question: Have any of you heard one word of responsibility, culpability or acknowledgement of shame or remorse on the part of anyone involved in this situation? Let alone one action of compensation in acknowledgement?
In President Bush’s speech to the Nation concerning the bailout, he assured us that he would oversee a “cap” on Executive Bonuses of those Bankers and Mortgage Institutions involved in the bailout! To my mind, this demonstrates the ultimate lack of conceptual reality and the detached and privileged attitude assumed. In subsequent pleas, we have heard what will happen if we don’t get a resolution to their liking! The market dropped precipitously on Monday following a Congressional failure to come to an agreement.
The specter of restricted loan availability and more ominous restrictions is being bandied about; but still not one word concerning blame or fault or restitution!
“This is not the time to place blame or fault, this is the time to resolve the issue.”
May I suggest that this is the time that a few of these people responsible come forward and voluntarily surrender part of their accumulated wealth in acknowledgement to their failures?
I realize that my suggestion will fall on deaf ears and at best would be considered an arcane and impractical solution.
How can anyone wonder why Congress cannot come to a resolution satisfactory to a majority in order to pass this “POWER GRAB”? That’s what it really is, in its essence.
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This has reminded me of some of the Harold Robbins stories concerning South American Dictators pandering to the wealthy land owners in order to maintain power and authority. I can’t imagine those proposing this “bailout” not being aware of the diametric class warfare that they are proposing as well.
I’ve seen some insipid articles concerning world wide involvement – which undoubtedly will lead to one world economy, one world government and one currency.
That specter leaves me and many others, I would suppose, with a sickening, deep series of concerns.
As a side note, I wonder if Mr. Bush is regretting the way he deceived us into the war in Iraq and now has found himself in the situation of being “the little boy that cried wolf” with the frozen response now occurring due to adamant suspicions over what the reality of this situation is.
The Constitution was at best, hampered, if not dissolved with the advent of “The Patriot Act”. With the takeover of Fannie and Freddie, the government now can determine who gets a home loan in the future and to round out their absolute control, we now are asked to surrender our futures in order to give the absolute decision making authority to less than a handful of demigods who will be able to determine which businesses survive and which will be destroyed.
In the interim, Congress debates and navigates and negotiates and jockeys for political gain and a palatable verbiage.
Wall Street Investors and Bankers threaten with precipitous swings in the market and Joe Lunch-bucket holds his breath and just hopes there is enough left for survival.
Shame doesn’t exist in the equation. Responsibility and forthcoming offers of corrective actions and obligation on the part of those responsible won’t be uttered.
I can’t help but wonder what “The Old Gentleman” would have to say?
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