Romney: Questions about Wall Street and inequality are driven by `envy’

Washington Post ^ | January 11, 2012 | Greg Sargent

[C19fan]

Mitt Romney had a remarkable exchange on NBC this morning that may not be as attention-grabbing about his “fire people” gaffe — but may actually be just as revealing and significant. And I hope it gets some attention.

In it, Romney suggested that concerns about Wall Street conduct and inequality are driven by “envy,” and even said we needn’t have a public debate about inequitable wealth distribution in this country.

[onyx]

Precisely.

[onyx]

Precisely.

[nikos1121]

It’s a thinly cloaked mania. It’s very strange, and reminds me too the way Ann Coulter has been acting.

I can’t stomach the guy’s radio show. Traveling between clinics each day between 10 to 10:30am I sometimes turn it on. IT’s the same, day in and day out.

You have a collection of two or three guys on there, who all sound the same, with their inside sarcasm and jokes. Over the past several weeks it’s been Ron Paul and Romney each time I turn it on.

Today, they’re mocking the Bain Capital documentary. Beck, as investigative reporter or commentator has always been thorough, why not now?

[nikos1121]

I watched the video. It is the kind of thing you’d expect to see on 60 minutes or by the Obama campaign to be sure, but it will not be easy for Romney to dismiss the content.

It raised many many questions. One I had was the inside trading that may have been associated with these break ups and IPOs.

I think it has the possibility of unraveling. Maybe, just maybe you might get some reporters fromt the left to carry the ball here, because let’s face it you’re not getting it from Rush, Hannity or Fox News.

Rush did a little better to level the playing field when he caught Romney’s assanine statement about liking his tenure at Bain with Obama and GM, THEN he says that he feels sorry for Debbie Wasserman having to defend Obama’s economic policies including stepping in at GM and Chrysler.

Let’s see what he does today.

[SENTINEL]

"Socialism is based on covetousness.

Socialists gain power by exploiting people’s covetousness of others’ property.

Ironically, they are more successful not in promising to give the covetors what the others have, but by promising to simply take it away from those who have."

Not coveting is one of the ten commandments. Using your wile, smarts, salesmanship, daddy's money, organizational fine print, stealth, lawyers etc to take what belongs to your neighbor like Romney/bain did is exactly as much coveting as what the OWS scum are doing. It is a common misconception that the powerful wealthy do not covet, that it is a poor man's sin, I argue just that it is more of a wealthy man's sin.

Many of the wealthy covet what the middle class have, savings, job security, pensions, wages....And they COVET and SCHEME to take it in the exact same way as the money changers that Christ PHYSICALLY threw out of the temple.

Christ saved the thief on the cross, and assaulted the money changers.

[Matchett-PI]

"Socialism is based on covetousness. Socialists gain power by exploiting people’s covetousness of others’ property. Ironically, they are more successful not in promising to give the covetors what the others have, but by promising to simply take it away from those who have."

You got that right!

If you have an “ear” for envy, you will detect it everywhere in the liberal world. In psychoanalytic parlance, it is also called “spoiling,” or devaluing.

"One of the most important but little known concepts in psychoanalysis is that of envy. It is a term of art, not to be confused with the dictionary definition. ....

"If we could somehow eliminate envy from the human genome, there would be almost no reason for the left to exist. They would instantly lose that which animates them, for example, envy masquerading as justice or economic theory. ....

"In order to be happy, we must all keep our envy in check, because envy is the opposite of gratitude. Envy does not appreciate what one has, only what one doesn’t have. And our capacity to imagine what we do not have--and that someone else is enjoying it--is literally infinite, as is envy. ...

"Envy ..is a key that unlocks many mysteries, particularly in politics. So strong and pervasive is envy, that you cannot have a political system that doesn't accommodate or find some way to manage envy.

"You might say that one party will generally represent the envied, the other the envious.

"Guess which ones.

"More generally, the international left does not attack the United States because they hate us. Rather, they hate the United States because they envy us. Precisely because they cannot tolerate our unparalleled goodness and success, they attack it and turn America into a uniquely bad, greedy and envious object. It is pure projection. In engaging in this projection of their own greed and envy, they damage what is good and conflate good and evil, but at least it helps to temporarily diminish the pain of their own envy. They do the same thing with Israel. .... when it comes to the projection of envy and greed, "the one who smelt it, dealt it." ...."

<>

"..In both the premodern and postmodern worlds, we are bound by what the anthropologist Ernest Gellner called the "tyranny of cousins." This is obvious in the former, as everything we think and do is defined and constrained by our place in the clan: "That is, your social world was limited to the circles of relatives surrounding you, who determined what you did, whom you married, how you worshipped, and just about everything else in life."

"And in our opinion, one of the key psychic mechanisms that held this system together was and is envy. Envy was evolved to solve a serious problem, i.e., group unity and harmony, for human beings cannot survive outside the group. All primitive groups are characterized by the "evil eye" of envy, which makes its target feel uncomfortable and persecuted by these envious projections.

"But in order to evolve out of tribalism toward universality, we had to first break through the envy barrier,

hence the 10th Commandment of spiritual evolution:

you __shall not covet__ your neighbor's whatever.

"In short, envy is natural; transcendence of envy is supranatural.

"Thus, the leftist hardly needs to invent envy. He must only provoke, legitimize and exploit it in order to gain power over the envious, and eventually over all of us. Like the cravemen they are, they just want to be fair, and spread the poverty around.

HERE: Envious Cravemen and Liberal Proglodytes

[SENTINEL]

Please see post #45.

[CainConservative]

BUT why should American taxpayers have to be forced to pay for Willard’s business incompetence and greed?

—

Workers were denied the severance pay and health insurance they’d been promised, and their pension benefits were cut..

What’s more, a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT insurance agency had to PONY UP $44 MILLION TO BAIL OUT the company’s underfunded pension plan.

Nevertheless, Bain profited on the deal, receiving $12 million on its $8 million initial investment and at least $4.5 million in consulting fees.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/01/bain-drip-drip-drip/

The Wall Street Journal analysis this week was devastating for Willard the Vulture/Lib at Bain..

Adding insult to injury, Bain would hide its profits in tax havens, not even paying the rate it was supposed to on the profits it made laying off workers.

Let’s see how the taxpayers feel about bailing out these companies’ pension funds and receiving no tax money back from Bain. Let’s let the people decide what they think of bailing out Romney.

Bottom line again: Why should American taxpayers have to be forced to pay for Willard’s business incompetence and greed?

[Colofornian]

This is why ‘conservatives’ (and Newt) should avoid using leftist arguments against RINOs.

Bill Kristol was being interviewed by Laura Ingraham this a.m. He said that it's not good enough for conservatives to jab, "free market...end of debate."

He mentioned one Obama Cabinet person who was into "crony capitalism."

He said that the populist rhetoric in 2010 (tea party...tho he didn't use 'tea party') has dissipated. He said in 2010 people were taking on Big Government, Big Finance, and Big Education.

Now that we don't have GOP candidates talking about that...and now that we have Romney RINO supporters catering to a candidate who won't take on Big Government, Big Finance, and Big Education, we get silence.

He also said the one candidate taking that on is Paul.

I'm not a Paul supporter; Kristol isn't either. But Paul is filling a vacuum, Kristol said, because the other GOP candidates won't address these reform issues.

Time for some FREEPERS to get off their high horses -- as an overreaction to the Occupy movement -- to stop treating 100% of Big Finance as a sacred cow.

Just because Obama's socialism is threatening capitalism, not everything "capitalistic" and "free market" IS off-limits for critique ...or is the "end of debate" ... simply because libs attack it.

[dfwgator]

Big Finance AND Big Government are one in the same.

[sickoflibs]

RE :"Workers were denied the severance pay and health insurance they’d been promised, and their pension benefits were cut.. What’s more, a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT insurance agency had to PONY UP $44 MILLION TO BAIL OUT the company’s underfunded pension plan. Nevertheless, Bain profited on the deal, receiving $12 million on its $8 million initial investment and at least $4.5 million in consulting fees."

I would suggest that Newt not continue this line of attack. Let Democrats be the party of dragging out the victims of evil corporations and rich robber barons to display themselves and their gripes. You cant out-Marx the Marxists so dont try.

Try going after Romney on conservative grounds, like TARP, stimulus, Romney-care. Pointing out if he lost more jobs than he created in the private sector is valid too. Just STOP THE CLASS ENVY!

[Elsie]

 

MORMON

ATTITUDES OF SUPERIORITY

 

  1. I’m Superior; I have a special gift of the holy Ghost -- you don’t!
  2. I’m Superior; I have God’s true priesthood power -- you don’t!
  3. I’m Superior; I can go in God’s secret Temple -- you can’t!
  4. I’m Superior; I’ve been Endowed with special Gifts and Knowledge -- you’re just normal!
  5. I’m Superior; I’ll have my family with me in heaven -- you’ll be with strangers!
  6. I’m Superior; I’m becoming a God -- you aren’t!
  7. I’m Superior; My women know their place as servants of man and yours don’t.
  8. I’m Superior; YOUR creeds are wrong because they come from man - mine comes from God (you can find each one printed in our Scriptures).
  9. I’m Superior; I don’t HAVE a creed - I’ve got 13 Articles of Faith.
10. I'm Superior; I have 4 "Bibles"-- the standard works (5 if you count the JST) -- you've only got one: in as far as it is translated correctly.
11. I’m Superior; I can lie with impunity about such things as church membership, church growth, church doctrine, church history, church influence, etc. —                           -- You can’t.
12. I’m Superior; I am right (everybody knows) when I say 'evangelical' Christians are lunatics -- 

                           -- You’re a hideous narrow-minded bigot, who is persecuting me by practicing discrimination by saying I'm not a Christian.
13. I'm Superior; I have a testimony about a prophet -- you don't.
14. I'm Superior; I have a Scripture-producing Amos 3:7 prophet -- you don't
15. I’m Superior; I have a Living Prophet who talks to god every day -- you have a dim-witted hireling of Satan who only talks to himself.
16. I'm Superior; I have my calling & election made sure -- you don't.
17. I’m Superior; I have magic underwear to protect me from the bogey man -- you don’t.
18. I’m Superior; I have secret clasps and grips to give the angel so I get admitted to the celestial kingdom -- you don’t ;so you can’t.
19. I'm Superior; I know secret handshake codes for afterlife entrances-- you don't.
20. I’m Superior; I will see Joseph Smith setting on the right hand of GOD, when I get to Mormon heaven, and he will recognize me and judge me favorably                              -- You’re on your own; when you get to wherever you’re going!
21. I’m Superior; I’m going to hie to Kolob -- you’re going to who knows where.
22. I’m Superior; I get to have a harem and act like a celestial stud for time and all eternity -- you don’t.
23. I’m Superior; I have sun stones, moon stones, sky stones, cloud stones, Saturn stones, and the evil eye of Osirus guarding my temple

                            -- You have nothing but a stupid cross.
24. I’m Superior; My church has billions in assets stashed away -- yours has taken a stupid vow of poverty.
25. I'm Superior; Last - we have the power to keep a whole race out of our priesthood if we wanted to reinsert our 148-year legacy  (we ARE still keeping an entire GENDER at bay!)

26.  I'm superior; I have the "higher law" -- everyone else "lives under the "lesser law' because I say so...(over and over).

 

 

Revision 46.5

Semi-Official creed of the EXclusive club of Freeper Flying Inmans.

All rights liable to be abused.

[Elsie]

Beck, as investigative reporter or commentator has always been thorough, why not now?

No; he hasn't.

[sickoflibs]

MSNBC Lawrence O`Donnell dedicating an entire segment to praise Newt last night:
“Last night on our election coverage, I said the trick question for Republicans like Mitt Romney is what legal thing would you not do to make money? I`m sure that question, as I put it, created no discomfort among Republicans, provoked no introspection.
.....
But Newt Gingrich is now saying the same thing to a much larger audience. His comments are being carried on every news network. And Newt Gingrich is the second most influential conservative Republican of his generation. The most influential, of course, being George W. Bush, who was able to work his will on a Republican-controlled Congress only because Newt Gingrich seized Republican control of that Congress, from the Democrats, before George W. Bush was even close to running for president.
.....
A Democrat, or a liberal like me, decrying the excesses of Romney- style greed changes no minds. It gets appreciative nods from people who think already the same thing. But a conservative Republican, the first Republican speaker of the House of Representatives in 40 years, the sharp- tongued attacker of liberalism, when he says things like this, people will listen to it, people who will never listen to a Democrat. ”

MSNBC The Last Word for January 11, 2012 Lawrence O`Donnell(Transcript)

[moehoward]

"The Wall Street Journal analysis this week was devastating for Willard the Vulture/Lib at Bain."

It seemed to be a fair analysis. The most damning thing was the opinion that the Bain/Romney 30%(ish) failure rate was significantly higher than others for the same period. Then today, Stuart Varney on Megyn Kelly's show, made it sound like this rate of failure is simply spectacular.

There's been a whole lot of using Bain's total record to paint over whatever failures occurred during Romneys watch.

[Colofornian]

MSNBC Lawrence O`Donnell dedicating an entire segment to praise Newt last night: “Last night on our election coverage, I said the trick question for Republicans like Mitt Romney is what legal thing would you not do to make money? I`m sure that question, as I put it, created no discomfort among Republicans, provoked no introspection.

Are you saying, SoL, that just because a liberal asked a good question here that it should automatically be ruled out of consideration?

Are you aware that the MSM is filled to the brim with liberals and that every now & then they actually ask a good Q?

Is this NOT a good Q to ask Mitt: "Mitt, what legal thing would you not do to make money?"

"Mitt, what about your repeated reinstatements as a board member for the Marriott Hotel chain? Have you not rec'd $25,000 per year plus stock for that role? You do realize, Mitt, that your income there was tainted since the Marriott is just another distributor as part & parcel of the porn industry, don't you?"

ALL: Imagine you're a "devout Mormon." You've been offered cozy occasional directorship position for a local theater for $25,000 per year.

You find out that the theater shows family-rated fair. But there's a "back entrance" for their XXX showings. You also find out they give $ to Planned Parenthood. (Marriott's been on the Life Decisions Intl list for boycotting because of its donations to Planned Parenthood)

Would you, as an alleged "devout Mormon," continue to take the position knowing that a portion of your salary comes from their porn industry intake? What would you feel knowing that this theater's $ goes to the largest child-killing organization in the world (Planned Parenthood)?

Well, that's Mitt Romney for you. He's done the exact equivalent of the above!!! (Apparently anything -- anything legal -- for $)

Even the Mormon church-owned Deseret News wrote an editorial on July 10, 2007, saying this about Mitt:

Pornography taints everything it touches. Mitt Romney should have understood that. So should the Marriott Corp. and other hotel owners who offer hard-core movies in hotel rooms. Romney caught a bit of flack last week because he spent nearly 10 years on the Marriott board and yet never tried to reverse the company’s policy of providing pornography on demand, something J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr., defended in a 2000 letter as being economically important. ...For a presidential candidate who has railed against pornography, this is not entirely insignificant. Even if the subject never came up at a board meeting, one can argue that at least part of the $25,000 plus stock he was paid annually for his board membership came from the money some hotel guests paid for access to the films. Source: The nasty taint of porn

So, that was as of '07 that he had taken $25,000 annually, plus stock from Marriott for being part of their board. He temporarily resigned from the board in '07; but then returned. And now he's repeating his '07 pattern.

What's funny to see such "knee jerk" overreactions from FREEPERS on certain Qs merely because of the source.

They should try reading the Bible -- especially the Old Testament -- to see how God even used those people who hated Him to carry out His purposes at various times.

[sickoflibs]

RE : Are you saying, SoL, that just because a liberal asked a good question here that it should automatically be ruled out of consideration?... Are you aware that the MSM is filled to the brim with liberals and that every now & then they actually ask a good Q?”

David Gregory occasionally asks Democrats good questions.
Lawrence O'D is no ordinary MSM ‘liberal’. In 2004 as a guest on an MSNBC show he shouted down John ‘Swift Boat Vet’ O Neill with 'liar, liar, liar' until the time ran out and the next show host Buchanan apologized for him. He (LOD) asked Cain if he was sorry he didnt drop out of school as a teen to protest for civil rights, then volunteer for Vietnam instead of going to college to be an engineer. Back last May he said that there was zero chance that Palin would run for POTUS (OK, he got lucky on that one LOL.)

RE : I said the trick question for Republicans like Mitt Romney is what legal thing would you not do to make money? I`m sure that question, as I put it, created no discomfort among Republicans, provoked no introspection”

To your question. I think attacking him specifically for making money in private business legally that didn't come from the government is something better left to Marxists like L'OD and Al Sharpton.

Romney was for TARP, Romney was for the stimulus. If he in any way personally benefited from those then we got something good going on him, if his activities killed more jobs than they created then lets nail him on it, but this CLASS WARFARE stuff by some Republicans is counter-productive and will backfire on them.

[Siena Dreaming]

I think Romney is right - to some extent. The whole Occupy movement, the whole populist rhetoric is all about envy and covetousness.

Yes, he is right. Socialism is largely about envy and laziness to boot.

I am not excited about Romney being the nominee, but I have to admit he has the philosophy about capitalism right. I believe too many people on FR buy into some of the OWS anti-rich thinking.

[Colofornian]

To your question. I think attacking him specifically for making money in private business legally that didn't come from the government is something better left to Marxists like L'OD and Al Sharpton.

You know, this position is pathetic.

Why? Because it reflects an "everything-is-legal-is-ethical" immoral equivalency.

There are plenty things "legal" that aren't "moral" in God's eyes.

Liberals certainly don't have the answers, but it doesn't mean they don't ever raise the right questions.

I took the time last night to watch this 28-minute online video: When Mitt Romney came to town

I don't pretend to believe that 100% of what's in there is accurate; it wasn't meant to be a "let's hear both sides of the issues piece."

But there was certainly enough in there to warrant further investigation.

For example:

* Chris Wallace clip about Bain Capital closing two plants and 385 jobs lost (Ampad)...
* while claims made that they sucked what they could out of the machinery sale within 6 months and made over a $100 million profit. Many of those workers in Marion, Indiana were fired twice by Bain...and if they temporarily came back on board, were getting $2 an hour cuts in '94 wages.
* Bain -- when Romney was still part of them as a member of their management committee -- saw a 900% return on their investment as they pocketed $120 million from the sale of KB Toys all as 15,000 lost their jobs across the country.
* Lots of stock shenanigans was involved with Bain (+ Lehman Bros) re: DDI, which lost $400 million in two years after Bain & Lehman touted to investors it was this great investment. Bain made out great; not employees. Not creditors. Not investors. [Or do you forget that creditors and investors, not to mention employees, are part of capitalism and the free market enterprise?]
* I can't recall if it was DDI or a FL washing machine biz taken over by Bain resulted in 2,100 jobs lost.

[sickoflibs]

RE :"You know, this position is pathetic. Why? Because it reflects an "everything-is-legal-is-ethical" immoral equivalency. "

Get off the imaginary high horse. Newt would have done that and worse for $$$ given the opportunity, He made much of his post Speaker money getting the government to screw us on ethanol and Fannie and Freddie. He is the LAST person that should play moral judge. He doesnt care about this 'issue', it's just another opporunity for him, but this one might backfire on him.