Tag: Greed

A Clinton Dynasty?

Closing Thought–21Aug18

We have these petty dynasties in the political world……the Kennedys, the Bushes and now possibly a Clinton Dynasty.

It began with Bubba and has continued with Hillary and now their daughter Chelsea could keep up the political dynasty……

Chelsea Clinton will not rule out a future in politics. Per the Guardian, the daughter of Democratic superstars Bill and Hillary Clinton was plugging her children’s book at the Edinburgh international book festival when the question of her potential future in elected office was posed. While bashing Trump, the New York City resident said she is a big supporter of her state and local officials. However, if one of those politicians were to retire, Clinton can’t say exactly what she’d do. “If that were to change, if my city councillor were to retire, if my congresswoman were to retire, my senators, and I thought that I could make a positive impact, then I think I would really have to ask my answer to that question,” she said.

Meanwhile, Clinton did strike a somewhat political tone when addressing the Trump administration’s handling of undocumented immigrants. “I think I’m just so fundamentally my mother’s daughter that I’m far more outraged by the Trump administration ripping children away from their families at the border and not having reunified those children with their families now for months, than I am about anything he has ever done to my families,” she said. Per the Hill, Clinton said she is a “definite no now” in answer to whether she’d seek office, but “a definite maybe in the future.”

A definite NO?  That is about as accurate as all those politicians that want to spend more time with their families…yep it is a BS answer to a direct question….

I said back during the Hillary run and Chelsea was trotted out to support mom that it was just getting her ready to step up when her parents are through scamming the public….the American people.

She has learned from the best about greed and using government to achieve it…..plus she became a hedge fund manager and married one so all the greed is there so politics would be the perfect place to go for the future.

Closing Thoughts–10Aug18

As long as I was writing about corruption  how about our current Sec. of Commerce?

There has always been a story about the greed of some in public office….but it seems that with the present administration of Our Dear Leader has more than his fair share……but one of the best is his choice for Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, sets a new benchmark for greed and corruptibility….

Forbes magazine, a much respected business publication has issued a story about the “Chief Grifter” in charge at the Commerce Department……

The buzziest political story of the day comes courtesy of Dan Alexander at Forbes, who’s out with some devastating allegations against Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Alexander interviewed 21 people who say that Ross, through his private equity firm WL Ross & Co., “siphoned or outright stole a few million here and a few million there.” All told, the allegations add up to more than $120 million, prompting this jarring assessment: “If even half of the accusations are legitimate, the current United States secretary of commerce could rank among the biggest grifters in American history,” writes Alexander. Ross denies this, asserting that “the SEC has never initiated any enforcement action against me,” though Alexander notes that Ross’ firm did get hit with a $2.3 million fine in 2016. One lawsuit against the firm is in the appeals stage, and two others have been settled.

The story details the alleged transgressions—some involving allegations of improperly calculated fees to clients—but it’s also drawing attention for something on a much smaller scale. In demonstrating that Ross has a reputation for frugality, Alexander writes this: “Two former WL Ross colleagues remember the commerce secretary taking handfuls of Sweet’N Low packets from a nearby restaurant, so he didn’t have to go out and buy some for himself.” Other tales of being a cheapskate, including unfulfilled pledges to charity, follow, and a commerce official dismisses them as “petty nonsense.” Besides, the official adds, Ross doesn’t add sweetener to his coffee. Click to read the full story, which accuses Ross of trying to mislead Forbes about his wealth in order to climb the rankings of the rich.

I wish this was the one and only “leader” acting like a self-centered toad….but then that would be a lie….this administration is built on greed and corruption.

Peace Out!

Greed Knows No Religion

Back in the days after 9/11 there was a ransom offered for the location of Osama….it stood for a decade……..no one would step up to claim the multi-million dollar reward.

I thought hen that these people that knew of his whereabouts were more dedicated to the movement than to the pursuit of cash…..almost admirable…..

But in the end….greed will always win the day…..a true American way……

A friend in Iraq sent me a mews story that I need to pass onto my readers…..

Kirkuk – Iraqi media outlets announced on Monday, that eight people working in the so-called Diwan al-Zakat (Zakat Bureau) of the Islamic State in Hawija district, southwest of Kirkuk, disappeared with 600 million dinars in mysterious circumstances.

According to alsumaria.tv, “Eight workers in ISIS Diwan al-Zakat in Hawija, including the currency exchange official, disappeared in mysterious circumstances yesterday.”

“600 million dinars also disappeared from the fund of Diwan al-Zakat with the workers,” Sumaria explained. “The ISIS militants waged raids on the homes of the workers but failed to find them, which raised suspicions that the disappeared persons fled with the money out of Hawija,” Sumaria added.

Noteworthy, the areas southwest of Kirkuk have been under the control of ISIS since June 2014, including the areas of Hawija, Zab, Riyad, al-Abbasi and al-Rashad.

File photo.

I guess greed will win out every time…..

How We Stopped Worrying And Learn To Love Greed

In the 1980’s, the ME Generation, brought about unbridled greed……Greed is not something new it has been a part of our society from the beginning….however the 80’s set up the climate for massive greed and avarice…..For 30 years greed has been the driving force in this country……

But what happened to make greed the driving force of society?

 

How Ayn Rand Helped Turn the U.S. Into a Selfish, Greedy Nation | Alternet.

An Enticement For Space travel

It is Sunday and my day of relaxation from the mundane world of politics…..I usually enjoy posting sciencey stuff…..like astronomy, archeology, et al……..but I recently read a piece that would combine space exploration with business and that involve GREED!

There has been a discovery that should get all the juices pumping through the veins of hard core capitalists…..

(Newser) – It’s going to need a much better name. A planet known as “55 Cancri e” is making headlines today after astronomers revealed that much of it is made of diamond, reports Space.com. The bad news for ambitious space travelers is that it’s 230 trillion miles away and too hot for life, reports Reuters. The planet is about twice the size of our own and also orbits a sun, or something like it.

“This is our first glimpse of a rocky world with a fundamentally different chemistry from Earth,” says a Yale researcher. “The surface of this planet is likely covered in graphite and diamond rather than water and granite.”

Should make the decision for space exploration much easier to fund this way…….GREED is a mighty motivator.  DeBeers is probably on the drawing board as I write…

Vatican’s Banking Problem

It seems that the Vatican just cannot keep its nose clean from one year to the next…..it was part of the Nazi conspiracy in the 40’s and then came the sexual abuses of the last several decades and then there was the gay porn thing from last year….where several of the Pope’s personal choir was engaging in a gay escort business…..and just when you thought you had heard it all about the Vatican…there comes a story like this….

Italian authorities seized euro23 million ($30.18 million) from a Vatican bank account Tuesday and said they have begun investigating top officials of the Vatican bank in connection with a money laundering probe.

In Tuesday’s case, police seized the money from a Vatican bank account at the Rome branch of Credito Artigiano Spa, according to news agencies ANSA and Apcom. The bulk of the money, euro20 million ($26.2 million), was destined for JP Morgan in Frankfurt, with the remainder going to Banca del Fucino.

According to the reports, the Vatican bank had neglected to communicate to financial authorities where the money had come from. The reports stressed that Gotti Tedeschi wasn’t being investigated for laundering money himself but for a series of alleged omissions in financial transactions.

The Vatican bank, located in a tower just inside the gates of Vatican City, isn’t a typical bank. Its stated mission is to manage assets placed in its care that are destined for religious works or works of charity. But it also manages ATMs inside Vatican City and the pension system for the Vatican’s thousands of employees.

The bank is not open to the public. Depositors are usually limited to Vatican employees, religious orders and people who transfer money for the pope’s charities.

The Pope wears Prada and blesses new Ferraris….seems it is just an extension of the greed and avarice that is consuming the rest of the financial world….go figure…

“One man’s theology is another man’s belly laugh.”
Robert A. Heinlein

National Financial Literacy Month

Today is the first day of April ….and NO this is NOT an April Fools post….it really is National Financial Literacy month……I personally think this is a good idea because the American people are the dumbest I have found on economic and financial issues…they need all the help they can get and I cannot wait to see just what types of education the people will receive….

I would like to help in their education on economics and finance……

All the people need to know is….if it sounds too good to be true, then it mostly like is……there you go…all you need to survive in this world of economic scams….

One last thing….if your economic strategy is motivated by greed, then you will NEVER learn a valuable lesson!

Side Note:  In case you were considering a visit to the theater to see “How To Drain Your Dragon”…..Done!…..it is a cartoon about training a dragon, not a potty training movie…….I should have known when I realized it was Train not Drain…..(always with a little humor)

The Madoff Saga Continues

First of all would you seriously invest with a person whose name is pronounced “made-off”?

Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC was examined at least eight times in 16 years by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators, who often came armed with suspicions, the Wall Street Journal said.

SEC officials followed up on emails from a New York hedge fund that described Bernard Madoff’s business practices as “highly unusual,” the paper said.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the industry-run watchdog for brokerage firms, reported in 2007 that parts of the firm appeared to have no customers, according to the paper.

Madoff was interviewed at least twice by the SEC, the paper said, adding that regulators never came close to uncovering the alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme that investigators now believe began in the 1970s.

The SEC could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters.

The serial regulatory failures will be on display on Monday when Congress holds a hearing to probe why the alleged fraud went undetected, according to the Journal.

Among the key witnesses is SEC Inspector General David Kotz, who was asked last month by the agency’s chairman, Christopher Cox, to investigate the mess, the paper said.

See what having billions can do for you?