Gordon Gekko Lives!

[Minor Axis]

If you don't know, Gordon Gekko was the Wallstreet ASSHOLE in Oliver Stone's Wallstreet movie. But without a doubt Gekko's character is a hero, not a villain on Wallstreet. Holy shit, what an article:

The Virtue of Greed- Capitalism Magazine.

YOU CAN CALL IT GREED, selfishness or enlightened self-interest, but the bottom line is that it's these human motivations that get wonderful things done. Unfortunately, many people are naive enough to believe that it's compassion, concern and "feeling another's pain" that's the superior human motivation. As such, we fall easy prey to charlatans, quacks and hustlers. Since it's not considered polite to come out and actually say that greed gets wonderful things done, let me go through a few of the millions of examples.

The author focuses on exchange of commodities, but he talks nothing of paying people a fair wage, enough to live on. And he speaks nothing about regulation. I agree that the human races tends to move forward on what we can do for ourselves, but is this the advanced standard we as an intelligent species want to strive for?

The following quote shows you, the guy is living in a fantasy world. The best example of Capitalism run amok, with the most profit produces for a small group of people was the U.S. in the late 1800s when Robber Barrons abounded:

Free markets, private property rights, voluntary exchange and greed produce preferable outcomes most times and under most conditions.

So people is greed a virtue? You know the Capitalistic system is based on greed, ie, self enrichment. AND how does this jive with religious teachings that indicate greed is a sin?

 

[itsmeJonB]

The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

 

[Minor Axis]

The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

Because of what the author says or do you have your own ideas?

 

[itsmeJonB]

Why?? (2? because min response is 5 characters.)

thats his quote from the movie.

 

[Minor Axis]

No doubt greed makes humans jump to it, but why is that good? Is it the standard you want for the human race, for a so called advanced species?

 

[pjbleek]

greed=$$$$ therefore the person pushing their luck is greedy, the company that makes money after they spill oil into the Oceans,lakes, streams etc. are a$$holes and they are still greedy..when is it going to stop? one can never tell, so in order to maintain profits and exceed stockholder demand we must look at the practices of the companies CEO,CFO, COO, ETC. and once we find out what their cut is, then we dismiss them until we (as a planet, not just a citizen of a certain country)can survive without this huge problem of living in which we live.

 

[Alien Allen]

I had an epic debate at another site on just this issue. There was a guy there who was a huge fan of Tony Robbins and we debated the issue of greed and Gekko. This guy thought Gekko was the epitome of what it takes to be great.

I don't applaud greed

But I think most liberals equate great success with greed and that is not always the case. Most of the time success comes with hard work.

 

[pjbleek]

I had an epic debate at another site on just this issue. There was a guy there who was a huge fan of Tony Robbins and we debated the issue of greed and Gekko. This guy thought Gekko was the epitome of what it takes to be great.

I don't applaud greed

But I think most liberals equate great success with greed and that is not always the case. Most of the time success comes with hard work.

and then glorify the "cheater" who finds a way to manipulate the system to his/her advantage

 

[Minor Axis]

But I think most liberals equate great success with greed and that is not always the case. Most of the time success comes with hard work.

You may be surprised to know I don't feel that way because my definition of success does not include obscene wealth, however greed can equate to obscene wealth if there are no limits. The author's point was that it is self enrichment that motivated people and makes business boom. I really can't disagree with that. I think that until human beings can see that obscene wealth is not really moral, heavy duty regulation is required. There is a group of forum member here who seem to constantly push the idea of free markets as the solution, but knowing how greed motivates, I'd say that free unregulated markets is a big part of the problem.

 

[darkangel]

I had an epic debate at another site on just this issue. There was a guy there who was a huge fan of Tony Robbins and we debated the issue of greed and Gekko. This guy thought Gekko was the epitome of what it takes to be great.

Is Shamou still preaching his shit there? :24:

 

[Minor Axis]

Is Shamou still preaching his shit there? :24:

Where?

 

[Minor Axis]

Speaking of greedy Americans, you can count on the Republican Party not only to try to cut off your unemployment benefits, but they will accuse you of being lazy while avoiding the topic of what kind of jobs are currently available? Apparently Newt was picking on an Engineer who would not accept a $7.50 per hour job. Lol.

 

[Alien Allen]

Is Shamou still preaching his shit there? :24:

no

I think I convinced them he needed to be shackled

 

[Alien Allen]

Speaking of greedy Americans, you can count on the Republican Party not only to try to cut off your unemployment benefits, but they will accuse you of being lazy while avoiding the topic of what kind of jobs are currently available? Apparently Newt was picking on an Engineer who would not accept a $7.50 per hour job. Lol.

Ah yes the typical liberal spin

The issue was not the benefits but paying for them

Seems like the stimulus plan had money left which would have been worth it but nope the liberals demanded it be separately funded

At some point you liberals need to get off the bandwagon of supporting this kind of crap. When we get some fiscal sanity from either party we might have a chance of righting the ship

 

[darkangel]

no

I think I convinced them he needed to be shackled

LMFAO!!! :24: He has his own website now and its spooky! Sorry Minor for highjacking your thread. I'm leaving now...

 

[Alien Allen]

LMFAO!!! :24: He has his own website now and its spooky! Sorry Minor for highjacking your thread. I'm leaving now...

where?

PM me info please

 

[Minor Axis]

Ah yes the typical liberal spin

If you read what Newt Gingrich has been saying I was not spinning at all. At least some portion of the Republican party has latched onto the "lazy American" talking point when they try to explain why they are against extending unemployment benefits.

At some point you liberals need to get off the bandwagon of supporting this kind of crap. When we get some fiscal sanity from either party we might have a chance of righting the ship

The Republican Party is most fiscally responsible when they don't control Congress. I highly urge voters to keep them that way. However, I'm not giving Democrats a free pass. I really do expect fiscal responsibility with some heart. The only time you see Republican's getting all emotional and angry is when spending money on average citizens. The Republican's small heart is reserved for when they can throw money at rich folk which makes them absolutely giddy.

 

[Alien Allen]

If you read what Newt Gingrich has been saying I was not spinning at all. At least some portion of the Republican party has latched onto the "lazy American" talking point when they try to explain why they are against extending unemployment benefits.

There are some lazy people gaming the system though. People that are waiting for their cushy jobs to come back which is a pipe dream. They would go on unemployment for years rather than to lower themselves to taking a lesser job. Unemployment never was intended to go on for all this time. Once again there are no consequences to ones action as the govt bails people out

The Republican Party is most fiscally responsible when they don't control Congress. I highly urge voters to keep them that way. However, I'm not giving Democrats a free pass. I really do expect fiscal responsibility with some heart. The only time you see Republican's getting all emotional and angry is when spending money on average citizens. The Republican's small heart is reserved for when they can throw money at rich folk which makes them absolutely giddy.

No Free pass eh?? You have been nothing but an Obama apologist that always falls back on to where were you when Bush was pissing money away cliche :nod:

I think the only time there was even a hint of fiscal responsibility was when Clinton had a republican congress to keep him in check.

Mulder might have been on to something when he said the shit hit the fan right after democrats took back control of congress. Plenty of blame to place on Bush but congress controls spending. Not the president. Thus both parties have blood on their hands. They keep flinging it back at each other trying to blame the other for deficits but they are wallowing in it so that won't work.

 

[Minor Axis]

There are some lazy people gaming the system though. People that are waiting for their cushy jobs to come back which is a pipe dream. They would go on unemployment for years rather than to lower themselves to taking a lesser job. Unemployment never was intended to go on for all this time. Once again there are no consequences to ones action as the govt bails people out

No Free pass eh?? You have been nothing but an Obama apologist that always falls back on to where were you when Bush was pissing money away cliche :nod:

My problem with Bush was that his only priority was to help his rich banker friends. It is almost laughable the palpable change in Republican demeanor when you get them talking about giving money to average citizens vs rich citizens.

Obama walked into a pile of shit. I guess it boils down to do you believe more money had to be spent to fix the sorry mess of 8 years of Republican leadership or not. Although I'm not thrilled with his positions on Afganistan or deep water oil drilling, I would pick him over McCain again. I want us to return to fiscal balance, but I realize it is impossible to get a honest conversation going in D.C. The Republican's have their pro-business, anti-citizen agenda behind every statement they make. I guess you can argue something similar for Democrats, but I feel that the Democrats are more aligned with average citizens then the GOP so I make my choices as you do.

I think the only time there was even a hint of fiscal responsibility was when Clinton had a republican congress to keep him in check.

I notice you don't credit Clinton, but the Republican party. Clinton- genius and the best President in the last 40 years who actually balanced a budget between two Republican's who were unable to. There is no other way to look at Bush as other than a catastrophe created by the Republican Party with help from a certain portion of the voters. It takes more than a pretty face to run a country (although I don't find his face all that pretty.)

Thus both parties have blood on their hands. They keep flinging it back at each other trying to blame the other for deficits but they are wallowing in it so that won't work.

I agree both parties can be blamed. Frankly I am at a loss about what to do about it. I'm not going to advocate revolution because in the end, "people" would be in charge. All the same problems would remain so I just hope we can muddle through until we become smart enough to really demand competence in governing.

But I'm partial so while I don't give Dems a free pass, they have their problems, I give them more trust (with the caveat they can keep their spending in check) than I would the Republican Party who would send us back to the days of the Robber Barrons in a heart beat.

 

[darkangel]

where?

PM me info please

PM sent! :24:

Morrning minor!