Free Republic

It is one of the most bi zarre searches since Bin Laden. Regulators are still looking for a Waldo (star, of course, of "Where's Waldo?") so they can pin the blame on someone -- and any old, fumbling fat-fingered trader will do -- for the near catastrophic decline in stock prices last Thursday. Now, in the latest apparent development in this case, The New York Times said the government is interrogating a trader -- probably at Gitmo -- about "heavy selling in the market for stock index futures." That's all well and good. Scapegoats are what makes America the land...

It's a classic abusive relationship. The person with power and money kicks around the weaker person in the relationship, then brings home flowers as a peace offering. And things go well for a while until the one in control decides to knock the vulnerable party around once again. And the cycle of abuse continues until the stronger person finally mends his ways, or the weaker person leaves -- no longer believing the rewards from the partnership are worth the pain. I'm describing how Wall Street treats small investors. "Even in abusive [situations], the relationship is not always bad. There are...