Blind Leading The Blind

Democracy as a form of government, as any other suffers because of people who are placed in positions of trust. These invariably betray the trust overcome by their faults as soon as any temptation presents itself as the proverbial forbidden fruit. It may be ambition, that one may be itching to get ahead over the heads of so many; in another the temptation comes in the form of some misplaced idealism where the man is out to discredit the government which he doesn’t believe in. Or it may a chance to make a quick buck. Of the last I have to say thus:
‘Greed is moral blindness in that man who struck by it sees nothing but greenbacks as a jaundiced man sees everything yellow’.
benny

Now You See,Now you Don't

Chalk it to my innocence in economic matters, or I am out of step with the young eager beavers who gravitate to investment banking like proverbial duck to water, which perhaps is right on either way. I often think of events I read daily while stretched on my mattress. When I am thus inclined I know my deposit in my bank is quite safe. Of course I lay on it to think and to feel safe. By the way my mattress serves as my bank. Some time ago, in 1995 I think, I quite clearly remember of reading about Nick Leeson, late of Britain's Barings Bank. ‘I even thought had I the guts I could have stood in his shoes and busted Barings Bank before lunch and went out to do a few more to keep my day full’. But which Bank will employ for their most dangerous missions,(one of which is in window dressing their annual reports,) one whose entire banking operation is restricted to his mattress? Lehman Brothers would have laughed me in my face to put it out of joint, I know for certain.
2.
Only lately I realized there are two avenues that market economy takes to. Main Street and Wall Street. I am lifelong learner. So I went about asking questions. Then I asked those who dabbled in stock Pug and Mug, who were sitting by the kerb. They replied, “ Economic meltdown, Ben. When we began playing in stocks sky was the limit and now it has come down and took us with it.” It seems one goes to Yale or some other university where all that you get is an education. It must be job-oriented, any fool will tell you that. Pug, my Yale educated friend was signed up even before he left College to put ‘Greater-fool-theory’ to practice. As far as I can see the bubble burst just as Nasdaq bubble of 2000, Nikkei bubble of 1991,stock market crash of 1987and 1929, Florida real estate bubble in the 1920 and so on. Give a fool a bubble and all that he thinks of is buying up stocks and hope to sell to another. Meantime he trusts in God that it will not burst in his face till a greater fool could be found. Well I think I will lie on my mattress to think when it is going to burst again and over what. Honest to God I know that it will , only the details will change here and there. While Pug and Mug are out waiting for the bailout I shall sleep.
By the way I don’t sleep all that well what with nickels and quarters make my bed quite lumpy.
benny