I have to speak about this whole AIG scandal. It's amazing and appalling to me that corporations like this are so arrogant they not only think their actions aren't despicable, they don't realize they did something horrible to our entire country....this may be going a bit far but what the heck, I'm pissed. We all should be pissed. Someone should tell these idiots that trickle-down only works if there is a trickle! These people think trickle-down is what gets on your pants after taking a pee at the urinal.
This is a direct slam on the taxpayers of our country and the people in charge should be held responsible. I am so sick and tired of the people at the top getting a free ride. It's so easy for them to blame someone else in the company but in reality if somethings bad happens while you're the boss, it's your fault. Stand up and take your beating.
I had a boss who knew how to be a boss. I saw him many times handle mishaps at our business because, "It's ultimately my responsibility and I'll handle it." I must admit there were times when he had to handle something I may have handled improperly but I saw him take care of problems regularly. After all, isn't that why he was put in that position in the first place? Mind you, he would never forget having to handle it and sometimes would call it to your memory, but I never saw him back down from taking the responsibility first and foremost.
My favorite punching bag Bud Selig(commissioner of baseball) has done this several times during his tenure. He blames the players for abusing the right to play baseball for millions of dollars by injecting steroids into their bodies. Wasn't he the one sitting at home watching the players get bigger and bigger? Wasn't he the one sitting at the ballpark and seeing the size of the player's heads grow abnormally? After all he has reminded us time and time again that no one watches more baseball than him. Are we so blind we can't see his direct benefit from players getting bigger and stronger? I can think of 17+ millions reasons a year how he has benefited....his salary was posted this year.
I should say that it scares me that the Congressional solution is to tax the bonuses paid by AIG by 90%. I agree the money should be returned to the taxpayers of our nation, but this seems like a very slippery slope we are treading upon. Congress has enough power as it is, but to utilize the power to take money away from working people in the future is a whole new bag of worms. Democrat or Republican control, I sure don't want my world taxed anymore than it already is and 90% is a pretty big number. That's the highest percentage I have seen in my lifetime.
Personally, I think the insurance industry is pretty nuts. We have to pay for insurance on everything. I can't get a car without buying insurance. I can't get a home without insurance.
I can't a mortgage without mortgage insurance. I can't have children without insurance. Think about how the doctor bills add up when you have 5 year old twins even with insurance! And the most ridiculous part of it all is the insurance companies have set themselves up with insurance too. If you get in a car accident, you get a payout to help with your bills(after paying your deductible) but then they raise your rates because you aren't as safe anymore and they essentially get their money back. Try getting health insurance if you're not healthy. Forget about it. If you get sick, they raise your rates because now you aren't as healthy as you were. This is all said without the fact if you don't get in a car accident or you don't get sick they continue to receive your premiums and pay nothing out. It is the epitome of win-win-win. They just can't lose.
Think about this for one moment. If you drive without your seat belt on you get a ticket. How does you driving without a seat belt make my life any safer? I don't care if you want to risk your life. I know my kids will always be in the proper car seat and buckled down for their own safety. I know I will buckle because I want my kids to have a daddy for as long as possible. You are not a safer driver if you don't wear your seat belt. The biggest benefit is to the insurance companies. They save money if you don't get hurt in an accident. They save money if you are not thrown from a vehicle.
I know it's out there and quite a scary thought but I get these all the time and one of the reasons I started this website was to get them out. Frankly my friends and family are a little tired of hearing me say, "I have a theory about that."
Bottom line is that selfishness can make people do some awful things. Even to an entire country.
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Helllllooooo. Why do you have to have insurance? HMMM, let me think....
ReplyDeleteIt is because those assholes in government make it the law. When it becomes law, they have to enforce it. Because they enforce it, they need more workers. These workers depend on government, because this is why they have a job. It starts with government intrusion into your daily life.
In the old days, you got in an accident and paid the person you hit, or they paid you. If they didn't pay, they went to court and were forced to pay or go to jail.
Who puts huge money into politician's campaigns.....insurance companies and the PACs (Political Action Commitees). When these assholes get elected they vote for things that benefit companies like insurance companies. You scratch my balls, I scratch yours!
The whole AIG thing is to big to take in one swallow. Politicians told mortgage companies that they had to give loans to people that really couldn't afford them. (ARMs). When the interest rates went up on the ARMs, the people could not refinance into a fixed interest rate and got hosed. Foreclosures started and now my house is worth less than I paid for it 9 years ago. Once again, politicians screwing it up.
The only real solution is to make your elected officials responsible for their actions. I say we shoot a few and let them know we mean business. If the government was run like a business, we would be okay. The problem is that elected officials are not held responsible for their actions. Look at Timothy Geitner (sp?) he is the new Fed Chairman and he did not pay taxes for 4 years. He is in charge of the Fed? You have got to kidding me.
How stupid are Americans? We let this stuff go on and we expect our politicians to be corrupt and it is all good. Look at Rod B., your governor. Shoot the bastard for trying to sell a job that you and I pay for. If these idiots knew we meant business by clipping a few of them, they would start to act in the best interest of the American people instead of their own interests.
So to your point, TJ. We are all screwed until we decide that the Forefathers had it right and we put the Constitution back at the top of our governmental system.
Whew...I could rant about this stuff for hours. tahnks for giving me a place to blow off some steam. Gina thanks you too.
As always, love ya like family. Billy
Love you too!
ReplyDeleteTommy,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading many theories about AIG it has become increasingly evident. Our government schemed to make one company our blackhole. It was rather ingenious and well orchestrated. See the problems with our nation arent just AIG but they are the facility for how we are taking care of the elite without anyone knowing. You see Rubin was Treasury Secretary knowing full well Goldman Saks was in trouble if AIG didnt get money.All the while Goldman told the public they had no CDO CDS exposure. This was the biggest lie and RUBIN knew it because he ran GOLDMAN til 2006 and knows where they had weaknesses. See AIG took the money 30 Billion here 100 billion there and it went straight to the svereign funds and who else GOLDMAN over 13 billion which they sold a credit swap to AIG and if AIG didnt get the money GOLDMAN would have been toast also. Its a wicked weave this whole mess is. The bonuses were all a big scheme to get people off the real issue that RUBIN was criminal in his behavior an GOLDMAN was also.