Are you satisfied with a retort that extends the sins of a few to describe the behaviors of the many?
Sure, when that retort is in response to an accusation that extends the sins of a few to describe the behaviors of the many.
Pot, kettle, you know the drill.
It's the point at which you didn't earn what you got paid for.
By that argument, everyone who posts on this board while being paid to work is a morally-bankrupt republican. Are you posting from work?
I think the capitalistic system has done a fine enough job in coming up with competitive salaries, without the need to avert the system by using "tricks" like bonuses to pay people more than they are worth. Bonuses should be proportional to the level of profitability in a company - a way of saying, "Job well done," and when there are losses, the bonuses should be $0, leaving the totality of the salary as the employee's compensation.
Personally, I think bonuses should be a private matter, between employee and employer and not subject to the whim of government, public sentiment or internet message board posters.
Republicans want freedom from regulation and less government intervention, but history has shown that ambition run amok wrecks havoc on the society, and we're better off with regulated capitalism. At least that has a history of both allowing the American Dream, as well as national financial stability.
I have done my best not to cast aspersions against any particular political party. I think that general economic discussions are appropriate in any stock message baord, but political pissing contests are not.
Both parties share the blame for what is going on now, despite the popular sentiments to the contrary. For example, AIG's troubles are due almost entirely to credit default swaps, a derivative instrument that was deregulated by the Clinton administration. Much of the current crisis is due to strict mark-to-market and leverage caps, (over-regulation), that resulted from SarbOx in the Bush administration. Sub-prime mortgages are in large part a result of the Community Reinvestment Act that goes back to the Carter administration.
I will agree with you in that greed is a powerful motivator, and government has a role to play in regulating how greed impacts society. Personally, I would prefer to see the government effectively enforce existing regulations before adding new ones (a la Madoff, et. al.). However, for government to seize legally earned income for any reason is reprehensible.
AI
