IRRESPONSIBLE DECISIONS?

"The one who is punished is no longer the one who did the deed. He is always the scapegoat." - Nietzsche (1844-1900)

"THE HOUSING CRISIS! THE HOUSING CRISIS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

I am so sick of hearing about whose fault this is? "Personal responsibility" this, "Irresponsible decisions" that! And I have a problem with the same people who BUY the right to DEREGULATION blaming people they practically harrassed to get their "business." It's rather interesting how the FCC had to implement a DO NOT CALL LIST in response to the endless calls by countless mortgage companies, who hire very talented salespeople. And of course they all have the "lowest rate," but won't tell you what it is.

I've worked for three different lenders in the sub-prime universe. Two are now bankrupt, the other bought by BOA. I say universe because of my experience specifically at AMERIQUEST MORTGAGE COMPANY. Based on all my knowledge and experience of this supposed surprise consequence of inventing a new business based on predatory lending and "emotional sales" tactics, AMC started this Gangsta Shit.

Proud Sponsor of the American Dream, sponsored the Super Bowl, NASCAR, their infamous "DON'T JUDGE TOO QUICKLY" commercials, "you're more than a credit score," "it's OK to make mistakes," ...it was quite a culture. And the Godfather of all this, the late Roland Arnall, Forbes 85. I'm not one to spit on somebody's grave, but when someone requires you to sign a silence order for 2 years after he sends his cronies to fire you IN THE AFTERNOON, after months of promoting the opposite on weekly conference calls, that's shady to say the least.

The pressure put upon salespeople and managers was intense. LOTS of money on every level. An unofficial marker was the number of DIALS one would have, especially if you don't have a SALE. Competitions, POWER HOURS, UNIT bonuses, SPONSORED LUNCHES. Most salespeople have college degrees. To think that targeted-clients, based mainly on education level, cannot be manipulated into something they do not understand is against their best interest, is to be very ignorant of the power of the sales techniques. The basis is getting PERSONAL, and getting the customer to LIKE YOU, be LOYAL to you, to TRUST you. You then come to an agreement in principle, the PAPERS get mailed as required by RESPA, then you GO TO THE TABLE. A goal at AMC was to CLOSE A LOAN in less than 24 hrs. Legally impossible, but frequently done. Forged signatures, COPY/PASTE, STATED LOANS, AVM's, APPROVED APPRAISERS. This was a very aggressive industry.

This fact cannot be swept under the rug when it comes to any debate on placing blame. One last thought about AMC: Roland Arnall was a Bush cronie, appointed to be the Ambassador to Holland after being a major fund-raiser.

Is it really irresponsible decisions made by the people, or the calculated manipulation of the market by the bankers at fault here?

THE DECIDER'S DECISION

WOW!

Firstly, I tip my hat to this most courageous woman. Jane Mayer. She is a Patriot. Now watch her get attacked in the media.

Now the point(s). On this eve of the FIRST MILITARY COMMISSION TRIAL, please try and comprehend the importance of these trials and what has led us to them. Regardless of the fact the man going on trial, Osama bin Laden's alleged driver, has a FOURTH GRADE EDUCATION, he has been held for YEARS. Tortured, ridiculed, deprived, confused. It's no longer a debate whether waterboarding is torture amongst Humans. Only amongst those with no respect for Life itself. Just money. Their TRUE RELIGION.

To some this isn't embarrassing, or concerning, or even worth knowing about. Others are aware, but helpless in their quest for leadership and direction. A question to ponder to all points of view is this: What if "THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" are the only People in the World who don't know that we torture and have been torturing ever since the "The American People" existed? Even when masked behind Capitalistic-style, propaganda marketing techniques, torture as defined by the experts in assessing it is firmly defined.. The current bumper sticker slogan is "HARSH INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES." Torture.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -MLK

While we watch the coverage by the Media and lazily take it as Truth, we balance in and out of our Multiverse like a staggering drunk. Lean to the left, "I gotta see if I can get some overtime, so I can buy a little food and afford the gas to drive to work next week;" Lean right, "we're torturing terrorists, that's keeping ME safe, cutting taxes-that's good, gays can't marry, I can keep my gun, life is grand." This American Dream that we doze in and out of, supposedly random acts that will EVENTUALLY work out in our favor, is eerily similar to the religious traditions I'm familiar with. To me dreams imply sleeping, and "out of this world." There's no money there, so it couldn't possibly possess the importance as this state of consciousness, where there's 24-HR ATM's(w/ camera) on practically every corner.

At the same time as we're torturing "evil-doers" and "enemy combatants," there's also another long-practiced tradition that we deem "necessary," that appalls the rest of the Western world. The Death Penalty. And we do this to ourselves. I would challenge anyone who would say that Capital(ism) Punishment is not worse than torture. Many World organizations, including the UN and EU, have repeatedly petitioned the US government to abolish the Death Penalty altogether on moral grounds, but most recently they've called for us to AT LEAST halt executions until we can "root out the racial bias from our Justice System." Basically saying we need Affirmative Actions for White guys to get into prison. Which I'm sure the Prison Industrial Complex will have no problem with.

I won't bore you with incarceration stats, but we have more people in prison than China, by both percentage of population, and actual numbers.

I don't think Bush made the decision to put torture on the table, I think he made the decision to let THE AMERICAN PEOPLE in on "a little secret."

IMPEACH, SO HE CAN'T PARDON!!!

"BE YOU"

The background's so hard to play
When everyday I hear people say,
With such conviction, that the cruci-fiction
Explains all lies. Well, surprise!

It's not all written.
How many times must you be bitten?
Good riddens
To George Bush when he finally leaves the building.

But leaves our children
Colder than what mittens
Are designed to withhold.
Break your mold!

Now listen to the voice.
It leaves you no choice,
But to love all your brothers,
Sisters, play-cousins, enemies, and lovers.

"PURPOSE OF THIS CIRCUS"

What in the world did this girl say
On TV today? Dismay with bombing
Everything from here to Bombay.
Hey! Whataya say WE make a new day?

What's the purpose of this circus?
Short circuitin' these vermits like a
Mergin' of three virgins.
69 more - makes you fight a war?

A jihad, free pad and pencil.
What's in store for the folklore
Passed forth to mine and yours?
Scores of sores; Force fed smorgasbord.

Receding reading has risen the ceiling
Between the proles and rich white men.
Told which right, when stopped by cops,
Once had, now gone like wind.