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The smartest thing liberals can do is let conservatives talk as much as they want. Give them a forum, put them in the spotlight, give them enough of the proverbial rope. Set a microphone in front of a conservative and step away. He'll start out talking about fiscal responsibility, but within twenty minutes will be extolling the joys of torture or alienating the entire Hispanic community or accusing Michael J. Fox of faking his illness. This morning on NPR there was a panel of banking experts, one of whom was from a conservative think tank, and at one point, when the term "predatory lending" was mentioned, he said "what about predatory borrowing? Predatory borrowing is just as bad!" He elaborated: evidently there were untold numbers of people who bought adjustable rate mortgages knowing full well that they would be unable to meet the ballooning payments in ten years. Those poor innocent bankers, hoodwinked by these devious criminals! Do conservative think-tankers really think that great hordes of people signed up for ARMs, knowing full well that they would default in ten years and be thrown out of their homes, which apparently would fulfill some insane master plan known only to them? That they would be laughing all the way to the homeless shelter, snickering at the bankers they forced into collecting giant year-end bonuses despite plunging the nation into a deep recession? I encourage all you right-wingers out there to lard your conversation with the term "predatory borrowers" as much as you want, revealing your shriveled little hearts for all to see.




Reader Comments (16)
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Same on this side of the pond
I find it hard to disagree with the points you make, bisnesmenchik. Thanks, ellis.
I wish people would stop picking on bankers. I work at a bank and I know that we're nice people. Sometimes I have to help old people balance their checkbooks. We would never take advantage of them. When I see them at church or in the grocery store they smile at me.
Vivian, I think most people realize that the bankers who are being picked on are not employees at the local branches.
Well said Mr.Donatello. One of the "media moments"* I succumbed to was when a lady banker was being quizzed, probably by John Snow or Jeremy Paxman. Asked about the vast number of people in debt through high interest loan payments, beyond mortgages, those that took loans with one of the plethora of loan sharks (some 'consolidation' loaners are very good tbf) in recent years who advertise on tv, mostly on the cheaper less mainstream cable channels. Hardly a programme goes by without being tempted with buying that car you wanted or having the holiday you always promised yourself blah de blah ad nauseum.
So the lady banker was asked if she thought there should be some protection from the loan sharks, to which the bitch replied: "It's their decision to take the loan on, nobody's twisting their arm". From this lady banker who must have mastered and majored in degrees to fill her cup has never heard of low IQs or people under stress or the reason why millions or billions is spent on advertising. These thieving cunts would be knocking old ladies over the head and robbing their handbags if there might possibly be a tad more than enough for that blouse she'd promised herself and a snack in the Kardoma coffee house after with Elsie. That and the fact that the clever cunts would be caught, because you just don't knock old ladies over the head do you, but it's okay apparently to rob by stelth.
* Michael Parenti, Contrary Notions, page 3
I should just add parenthetically that I'm learning that there are some words in common currency in the British Isles that still have a certain amount of shock value over here.
I couldn't agree more, Wally. I think the word "handbag" is just fucking dreadful in polite company.
Well said, Frank mate.
Your political commentary isn't nearly as good as your sketching.
I'll have you know mr 2Am4Sure anonymous commentator, I have been sick with laughter at Bob's astute political commentary, so you put me in a predicament about how I should be showing my appreciation of what you regard as his much better sketching. I think I'll have to get myself down to the National Gallery or the Tate and demand to know when they are going to be exhibiting a major Crackskull Bob retrospective.
Found your sketch blog while doing some google mappin'
Really like the sketches. Good on ya'!
Julie, glad you didn't include the Tate Modern there. I've only been a few times but apart from two or three good stuff, it's full of sh*t, like the endless video of a naked man walking the wrong way down an escalator (you watch it in a small blacked-out room which makes it wierdly reverant like in church, thank God for the schoolkids giggling), that David Beckham sleeping video, now that's marketing. And the upside-side grand piano on the ceiling that every so many minutes descends and collapses into sections slowly, then *yawn* returns to the ceiling in one piece again. Sparky would wipe the f*cking floor with that lot. In all seriousness, what a breath of fresh air would waft through that grand building, not ornately grand but a beautifully designed and built brick building - people would love it. If only we knew the right people..
So well said, Frank.
You are sooooooo clever!!!!!!!
The piano cd have been the centerpiece of a Broadway show<$$$$$$$$
Very well said. Damn those predatory borrowers!