News & Comment
Blogs and Opinion
Congress' Choice: Real Derivatives Reform Or Another Wall Street Earthquake by Robert Johnson, OurFuture.org | November 18, 2009
This post is an excerpt of testimony presented to the Senate Agriculture Committee on November 18, 2009 in a hearing on legislation reforming regulation of financial markets. The testimony was presented on behalf of Americans for Financial Reform. read more »$140 Billion for Bonuses, Zero for America’s Future by Dave Johnson, OurFuture.org | November 11, 2009
Here is another story about Wall Street’s war on the real economy. US Steel was planning to invest $1 billion in building an environmentally-friendly new “coke battery” plant in Clairton, PA. The new battery would dramatically reduce the emissions used in the process, and use the gases to produce electricity. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, read more »The Angelides Commission: Tell America What Happened by Robert Borosage , OurFuture.org | September 17, 2009
Today the new Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, modeled after the New Deal-era Pecora Commission, begins its investigation into possible misconduct by the financial sector causing last year's market meltdown. read more »Pecora II Meets, Grassroots Mobilizes by Isaiah J. Poole, OurFuture.org | September 17, 2009
In their first meeting Wednesday, members of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission—often characterized as the second coming of the Pecora Commission that investigated the causes of the Great Depression—clarified how they see their mission and what we can expect. read more »Wall Street Rules: The Bernanke Reappointment by Robert Borosage , OurFuture.org | August 27, 2009
The reappointment of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve -- cleverly timed to defuse the news of burgeoning federal deficits -- was preordained. The "markets" demanded it, and as James Carville noted, when the markets speak, presidents listen. read more »Let The Financial Inquest Begin by Isaiah J. Poole, OurFuture.org | July 15, 2009
Now that congressional leaders have named the members of the Financial Services Inquiry Commission—what is often referred to as the "Pecora Commission"—we are going to see once again who is prepared to lay the groundwork for real financial reform and who is going to stand in the way. read more »Financial Reform: Up To Us To Change The Game by Isaiah J. Poole, OurFuture.org | June 17, 2009
There's a reason why lawbreakers don't get to negotiate the terms of their punishment or their parole. There is no bartering to be done between the protectors of law and order and the violators of law and order. There are only two basic questions for the person who dared to stand outside the law: What is required of you to atone and what must be done to prevent that lawbreaking from recurring. read more »A New Player in the Banking Reform Fight: Citizens by Mike Elk, OurFuture.org | June 11, 2009
The fact that regular citizens have been largely excluded from the debate over financial regulation on Capitol Hill was underscored most vividly when Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill, said last month that "frankly the banks own the place." read more »The U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Threat To Capitalism by Eric Lotke, OurFuture.org | June 11, 2009
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday that it would “develop a sweeping national advocacy campaign … to defend and advance America’s free enterprise values in the face of rapid government growth and attacks by anti-business activists.” The Chamber doesn’t get it. They aren’t defending capitalism and free enterprise. They are all but destroying it. read more »Wall Street Journal Throws Citi Under The Bus by Robert Borosage , OurFuture.org | June 10, 2009
I stopped reading The Wall Street Journal editorial page when it soared off into wingnuttery, writing tomes on the imaginary conspiracy to off Vince Foster and other fantasies. The news pages remain useful; the editorial page hasn't improved much. read more »
The Latest
Runaway Spending on War Contractors, The New York Times | September 19, 2011
War especially privatised war looks profitable; for various reasons the US military and executive branch has sought to disguise troop numbers and outright cost of its conflicts and wars by the simple expedient of paying privateers, mercenaries, to conduct security operations on their behalf. more »
Europe's banks are staring into the abyss, blogs.telegraph.co.uk | September 14, 2011
It ain't pretty;
The German people are grumpy, the French people are grumpier, there may be vast consequences and fall out in the US. Here is a heads up, mark it well and then take a good look at Dimon, JP Morgan and the Fed. more »
Students Challenge Campus Spending on Bottled Water, stopcorporateabuse.org | September 10, 2011
Some U.S. firms paid more to CEOs than taxes: study, Reuters | August 31, 2011
First Federal Reserve Audit Reveals Trillions in Secret Bailouts, ipsnews.net | August 29, 2011
Just In case you missed it amongst the hacking scandals, the endless humanitarian wars and bombing the Federal Reserve slipped out the results of its 'One Time' audit. more »US debt: how big is it and who owns it?, The Guardian | July 15, 2011
Whistleblower Blew the Lid Off Wachovia-Drug Cartel Money Laundering , alternet.org | June 12, 2011
From the Wall St hall of assholes...
Apart from Goldman Sachs "Doing the Work Of God" by creating bad financial products then betting against them nothing epitomises the sickening unaccountable nature of the US banks AND the negligent ineffective US government than this hideous truth. It is a relationship abusive to its own citizens and a betrayal of them. more »
Bankers Blowing Bubbles in Basel: Vampires Lobby Congress and World, The Guardian | June 6, 2011
Our Government Is Corrupt Through and Through -- Where's the Outrage?, alternet.org | May 23, 2011
Congressional and administrative lobbyists can be the conduits of corruption, a democracy bypass, we know this, the FBI know this, everyone in America and the world knows this. It is systemic. But judges surely not? more »
Super Rich See Federal Taxes Drop Dramatically, commondreams.org | April 23, 2011
WASHINGTON – As millions of procrastinators scramble to meet Monday's tax filing deadline, ponder this: The super rich pay a lot less taxes than they did a couple of decades ago, and nearly half of U.S. households pay no income taxes at all.
America building an unfair society or just telling it like it is?
