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The Obama Adminstration's Handling of Wall Street.

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Northside Storm, May 24, 2011.

  1. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    mfw's and sam's information are very helpful in this thread. both guys work in this field from different aspects and even though they are being jerks to each other they aren't being jerks by sharing their expertise.
     
  2. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    I think one of the key issues that MFW is trying to state especially in the case of Abacus is that the buyers should've known better from the information available.
     
  3. Northside Storm

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    I don't think I'll even read this drivel, because you obviously have not given me the courtesy of reading anything I post.

    The Obama Adminstration's Handling of Wall Street.

    Holy f**k, can I not make it more clear?

    For someone who is attacking other people's attention spans and reading skills, can I kindly remind you to stick to the f**king subject, which you have not for something like three pages?

    I will kindly debate you about the Goldman case, once you start being less of an ******* and demonstrate basic reading skills.
     
  4. Northside Storm

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    Yeah, tell that to Ponzi scheme victims..."you should have known better, those products were absolute crap, what were you thinking?!"

    disclosure laws, thank god, still put the onus on the seller. Otherwise moral hazard would go through the roof.
     
  5. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    LOL, yeah the famous "10b-5 is for wusses" defense ranks somewhere below the "b-b-b-ut I'm a market maker!" exemption to the federal securities laws.
     
  6. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    but its not a ponzi scheme so you shouldn't compare the two
     
  7. Northside Storm

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    In terms of disclosure law, they are very similar scenarios. In both cases, you and MFW are trying to argue that the onus should fall on buyers, which is a bit like faulting a consumer for buying Chinese lead paint or a used lemon car from a slick salesman.

    If anything, Ponzi scheme victims should be the targets of your ire---since really, Madoff's statements, for example, were ludicrous, and if you did any basic research (including the fact that his auditing firm suspiciously was, if memory serves, an one-office affair---curious indeed), the whole thing kinda fell apart. Now, some leniency should be noted since Madoff targeted gullible individual and institutional investors and largely strayed away from large banks who did know better (and in fact probably knew a bit more than better as Madoff himself alleges)---

    but still, the same train of thought runs through both cases.
     
  8. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    one other thing, these are institutional investors, that's the point i was trying to make

    also, madoff did some pure lying, he wasn't even buying securities.
     
  9. Northside Storm

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    Madoff had some institutional investors/big banks snared as well, though none of the Wall Street ilk (curious eh?)

    http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_madoff_victims_20081215.html

    Royal Bank of Scotland
    HSBC
    Société Générale
    Fortis
    Bank Medici
    Banco Santander

    I guess what it comes down to is that a lot of bankers and financial advisers are idiots earning 7-figure checks, though that's a digression of mine.

    still, same thing right? if what you and MFW are arguing for comes to pass, we shouldn't even bother trying to seek restitution for the Ponzi scheme victims. It's even more egregious than the Goldman case, because well, as you put it, Madoff was plain out lying. Phooey on the investors who ponied up, eh? Caveat emptor and all that?

    Goldman may have been a bit more sophisticated about it, and certainly did do some legitimate activity, but their securities, just like a Ponzi scheme, were more or less rigged to fail. Happily, and logically, disclosure laws weigh heavily on the seller (a happy thought the next time your used car burns down), so as to mitigate, as best as possible, any conflicts of interest and moral hazard.
     
  10. MFW

    MFW Member

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    I read your post. It contained no useful information/argument, hence what I call drivel. My post on the other hand, was highly informative, whether you agree with the underlying thesis.


    I understood your points (or rather, lack-thereof) just fine. You had no point. I think to the contrary, it is you who lack the most basic reading comprehension. The risks were systematic. Always were. It goes beyond Goldman. It goes beyond the USG. It goes to investors, mortgagees and a slew of other people you don't care to name.

    What I find interesting is, when the "investor" makes money on the way up, HE MADE MONEY, but when they lose money on the way down, it's the banks' fault? If you really cared for "morals," shut up and take it on the chin, then get smart about it.

    You've gotta be kidding me. Did you just compare a Ponzi scheme to something that actually do have underlying economic value, no matter how much misjudged higher?

    Not the least of your worries should be whether Goldman actually made misrepresentations, which if they did, you presented zero semblance of evidence.

    I've said before and I'll say it again, nobody is talking about price. Carl Levin didn't talk about price. The SEC didn't talk about price. The DoJ didn't talk about price. NOBODY. If I'm trying to sell you a car that I know is a lemon but did not quote you a price, I've committed no fraud. Much like if Goldman made no representations of price in a pile of garbage, IT COMMITTED NO FRAUD.

    If it did, the onus is on you to prove it.



    Essentially what you've been saying is that if the investors win, it garners the gain, but if it loses, Goldman's at fault.

    I'll one up you. It's not just HSBC et al are idiots, I'm gonna broaden the base much more. I'm actually gonna broaden to within the industry.

    You think the data analysts (the junior grunts) at major securiitizing banks knew what's going on? What about those collateral analysts? They know a bit about collateral but is completely devoid of knowledge of the structuring side of the deals. Those people also have no business trading those securities and fortunately, aren't in a position to.

    Is it surprising then that the hierarchy (not the least of which is the pay scale) goes collateral analyst --> data analyst --> quant modeler --> structurer/trader?
     
  11. MFW

    MFW Member

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    10b-5 implies fraud. No fraud = no 10b-5. I'm surprised it didn't even get through your thick skull Sammy.
     
  12. Northside Storm

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    bla bla bla, yes others were to blame, but I don't exactly see "Deadbeats to blame!" and "System to reform!" in the thread title, do I? Clever how you also fail to acknowledge that for something like three pages, you have never understood the topic I was arguing about, something any 8 year old could have garnered from the thread title, by making direct references to my ignorance and non-reference to government culpability in these issues---LOL? "The Obama Adminstration's Handling of Wall Street.". now you're trying to derail further by arguing it's even beyond that. wow. Great.

    I'm not reading anything you read, or responding with any kind of argument, until you stop misrepresenting my positions, stop attacking me personally, and get within the confines of the damn topic, or at least acknowledge that there are confines or a scope beyond the narrow case you are arguing and now the incredibly broad statements you are putting out there.

    In fact, if I can say so in my most civil manner, I'd prefer it if you got out and made your own topic. You can spar with Sammy there, if you keep on being an *******, about Goldman's fraud case, or speculate on the systematic failure of the whole damn thing. Who knows, if you demonstrate a commitment to actually reading what other posters write, and not misrepresenting their positions and calling them idiots to boot, I might join you there.

    so have a good day and all that (I most certainly am not), and may your new thread, if you choose to start one, be as popcorn-filled, eye-tiring and time-wasting as this one.
     
  13. Northside Storm

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    MFW, I wish to make it clear too, that you bring good points to the table, and you know what you are talking about. Your contributions have been appreciated and I have learned. However, what seriously pisses me off is that I have spent a lot of time on your posts, even if they are off-kilter a bit when it comes to the original topic---and you have spent nearly none on mine. I usually excuse derailing---after all, I frequently derail, and hell, this thread was the result of a derail. However, my patience is tried when someone tries to antagonize me and others, and then misrepresents my position, and assumes things about my intelligence and attention span as a result. I read your posts MFW, don't try to shift the goal lines. To stipulate that I am doggedly hunting down Goldman and ignoring the regulators---well, now, you want to go even beyond the regulators to the users, but that won't work. I know you aren't reading. usually I excuse this (who has the time? hell I skim), but then to try to attack my intelligence over it or my reading skills, while you yourself have not even read the thread title---no.

    You are free to post here, but I won't be replying to you with counters, until you demonstrate that it's worth the time and effort---either by being more civil (which I doubt) or by at least not stipulating things in your argument that clearly show you don't read my posts or thread titles, or acquaint yourself in any way with the original thread topic (which for emphasis, is about how government/Main Street regulators have failed us all in dealing with Wall Street)
     
  14. thadeus

    thadeus Member

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    The Wall Street executives and the Federal oversight committees are the same people.

    Henry M. Paulson

    Was at Goldman for 22 years holding the position of CEO. He was eventually named CEO at Goldman before leaving to become the Secretary of Treasury under President George W. Bush.

    Neel Kashkari

    Was a VP at Goldman from 2002 – 2006 when he left to become the Head of the TARP fund. Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability.

    Joshua Bolten

    Was an Executive Director for Legal & Governmental Affairs in London who became White House Chief of Staff under George W. Bush

    Robert Rubin

    Was at Goldman for nearly 3 decades, then became Secretary of Treasury under Bill Clinton

    William C. Dudley

    Was at Goldman for 21 years leaving to become the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

    Robert Zoellic

    In and out of various positions in the Federal Government (United States Trade Representative (2001–2005), Deputy Secretary of State (2005–2006), World Bank President) He spent one year at Goldman and then became World Bank President.

    John Whitehead

    Was at Goldman for 38 years and then became Deputy Secretary of State during Reagan’s administration

    Reuben Jeffery III

    He became Managing Partner of Goldman Sachs's European Financial Institutions Group in London in 1992, and then Managing Partner of the Goldman Sachs Paris office in 1997. In 2003, Jeffery became a Special Advisor to L. Paul Bremer, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and then became the Representative and Executive Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority Office in The Pentagon. He served as a member of the United States National Security Council until 2005, as a Senior Director responsible for International Economic Affairs. Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs (2007– )

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldman_Sachs#Alumni
     
  15. Northside Storm

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    Robert Rubin
    Henry Paulson

    Two former Secretaries of the Treasury as well, appointed by both a Democrat and a Republican, both of whom received significant GS contributions.
     
  16. thadeus

    thadeus Member

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    I need to reiterate - Wall Street and the Federal oversight commissions are THE SAME PEOPLE.

    Let me repeat this again ... THEY. ARE. THE. SAME. PEOPLE.

    Democrat, Republican ... it doesn't matter. Give this list a good read, and maybe you'll have a good bitter laugh looking at the titles of the government positions these people occupy/have occupied.

    Here is a comprehensive list of the past two administrations.
    Under Obama

    <b>Lael Brainard: </b>Brainard is the United States Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs in the administration of Obama
    <b>Gregory Craig</b>: Former White House Counsel, Recently hired by Goldman Sachs
    <b>Thomas Donilon</b>: Deputy National Security Adviser(despite having a career that is mostly involved with domestic politics). Donilon was a lawyer at O’Melveny and Myers and made almost $4 million representing meltdown clients including Penny Pritzker (of Chicago) and Goldman.
    <b>William C. Dudley</b> : president and chief executive officer of the FederalReserve Bank of New York, partner and managing director at Goldman, Sachs and was the firm’s chief U.S. economist for a decade
    <b>Douglas Elmendorf</b>: Obama Director of the Congressional Budget Office in January 2009, replaced Furman as Director of the Hamilton Project ;(Note that the Hamilton Project was funded by Robert Rubin and Goldman Sachs)
    <b>Rahm Emanue</b>l: Obama Chief of staff, on the payroll of Goldman Sachs, receiving $3,000 per month from the firm to “introduce us to people,” in the words of one Goldman partner at the time.
    <b>Dianna Farrel</b>l: Obama Administration: Deputy Director, National Economic Council, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Financial Analyst
    <b>Stephen Friedman</b>: ;Obama Administration: Chairman, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Board Member (Chairman, 1990-94; Director, 2005)
    <b>Michael Frohman</b>: Robert Rubin’s Chief of Staff while Rubin served as Secretary of the Treasury and an Obama “head hunter” according to “Rubin Proteges Change Their Tune as They Join Obama’s Team” in the New York Times.
    <b>Anne Fudge</b>: appointed Fudge to Obama budget deficit reduction committee. Fudge has been the PR craftsman for some of America’s largest corporations. She sits, according to the Washington Post, as a Trustee of the Brookings Institution within which the Hamilton Project is embedded.
    <b>Jason Furman</b>: directed economic policy for the Obama Presidential Campaign, served as the second Director of the Hamilton Project after Peter Orszag’s departure for the Obama administration
    <b>Mark Gallogly</b>: Sits on the Hamilton Project’s advisory council. He is also, according to Wikipedia, currently a member of Obama’s President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
    <b>Timothy Geithner</b>: Secretary of the Treasury, a former managing director of Goldman Sachs
    <b>Gary Gensler:</b> ;Obama Administration: Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Partner and Co-head of Finance
    <b>Michael Greenstone</b>: the 4th Director of the Hamilton Project. Just as attorney Craig went from advising Obama to defending Goldman Sachs against the SEC complaint, Greenstone has used the revolving door to go from went an economic adviser position to Obama to one of the Goldman Sachs outlets, in this case its think tank embedded in the Brookings Institution and funded by Goldman and Robert Rubin. All 3 previous Directors of the Hamilton Project work in the Obama administration.
    <b>Robert Hormats</b>: ;Obama Administration: Undersecretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, State DepartmentFormer Goldman Sachs Title: Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs Group
    <b>Neel Kashkari</b>: served under Treasury Secretary Paulson and was kept on by Obama after his inauguration for a limited period to work on TARP oversight, former Vice President of Goldman Sachs in San Francisco where he where he led Goldman’s Information Technology Security Investment Banking practice.
    <b>Karen Kornbluh</b>: (sometimes called "Obama’s brain") Obama Ambassador to the OECD, was Deputy Chief of Staff to Mr. Goldman Sachs, Robert Rubin
    <b>Jacob (AKA "Jack ") Lew</b>: the United States Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. According to Wikipedia, Lew sits on the Brookings-Rubin funded Hamilton Project Advisory Board. He also served with Robert Rubin in Bill Clinton’s cabinet as Director of OMB.
    <b>David Lipton</b>: now at Obama’s National Economic Council and the National Security Council. Lipton -worked with Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner, on the US response to the Asian financial crisis of the 1990’s. MergeFoundations reports that Lipton worked closely with Robert Rubin:
    <b>Emil Michael</b>: White House Fellow, ;former investment banker with Goldman Sachs
    <b>Philip Murphy</b>: Obama Administration: Ambassador to Germany, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Head of Goldman Sachs, Frankfurt
    <b>Barack Obama</b>: Obama owes his career to Goldman Sachs which was not only his biggest financial contributor when he ran for the presidency but also his biggest contributor when he ran for the Senate
    <b>Peter Orszag</b>, Obama Budget Director, founding director of the Hamilton Project, funded by Goldman Sachs and Robert Rubin. Wikipedia indicates that Robert Rubin, Goldman’s ex-head, was one of Orszag’s mentors.
    <b>Mark Patterson</b>: Obama Administration: Chief of Staff to Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geitner, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Lobbyist 2005-2008; Vice President for Government Relations
    <b>Mark Peterson</b>: Chief of staff to Timothy Geithner, Goldman Sachs vice president and lobbyist
    <b>Steve Ratner</b>: the shady billionaire financier who Obama appointed as his “car czar” and who resigned after it was revealed that his company, the Quadrangle Group, was apparently involved in “pay to play” for a billion dollars or so of New York State pension funds, and was under possible indictment by the New York AG and the SEC, also sits on the Advisory Council of the Goldman funded Hamilton Project
    <b>Robert Reischauer</b>: a member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission from 2000-2009 and was its vice chair from 2001-2008. He too sits on the Hamilton Project’s advisory board.
    <b>Alice Rivlin</b>: Obama named Alice Rivlin to his so called deficit reduction commission.
    <b>James Rubin</b>: Son of Robert Rubin. Served as a headhunter for Obama per the New York Times article, "Rubin Proteges Change Their Tune as They Join Obama’s Team "
    <b>Gene Sperling</b>: advisor to Timothy Geithner on bailouts, Sperling paid by Goldman Sachs for one year of consulting work.
    <b>Adam Storch</b>: Obama Managing Executive of the Security and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement Vice President in the Goldman Sachs Business Intelligence Group
    <b>Larry Summers</b>: ;Obama chief economic adviser and head of the National Economic Counsel, Worked under Robert Rubin at Goldman Sachs
    <b>John Thain</b>: Obama Administration: Advisor to Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geitner, Former Goldman Sachs Title: President and Chief Operating Officer (1999-2003)

    Under the Bush Adminstration:
    <b>Joshua Bolten</b>: Bush II Administration: White House Chief of Staff (2006 – 2009), Former Goldman Sachs Title: Executive Director, Legal Government Affairs (1994-99)
    <b>William C Dudley</b>: NY Federal Reserve: Current President/CEO, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Partner and managing director – 2007
    <b>Edward C. Forst</b>: Bush II Administration: Advisor on setting up TARP to Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson 2008 Former Goldman Sachs Title: Co-head of Goldman’s investment management business
    <b>Stephen Friedman</b>: NY Federal Reserve: Former Chairman of the Board – 2009, former Goldman Sachs Title: Board Member (Chairman, 1990-94; Director, 2005-)
    <b>Gary Gensler</b>: Bush II Administration: Undersecretary, Treasury (1999-2001) and Assistant Secretary, Treasury (1997-1999), ;Former Goldman Sachs Title: Partner and Co-head of Finance
    <b>Reuben Jeffery III</b>: Bush II Administration: Undersecretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, State Department (2007 –2009) Former Goldman Sachs Title: Managing Partner Paris until 2002 Security Investment Banking Practice
    <b>Dan Jester</b>: Bush II Administration: Advisor on setting up TARP to Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson 2008, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Deputy CFO
    <b>Neel Kashkari</b>: Bush II Administration: Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability, Treasury (2008 – 2009) Former Goldman Sachs Title: Vice President, San Francisco; led Information Technology Security Investment Banking Practice
    <b>Henry Paulson</b>: Bush II Administration: Secretary, Treasury 2006 - 2009, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Chairman and CEO (1998-2006)
    <b>Robert Rubin</b>: Bush II Administration: Secretary, Treasury 1995-1999, Former Goldman Sachs Title: Vice Chairman (1987-90)
    <b>Robert Steel</b>: Bush II Administration: Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, Treasury, (2006 – 2008) Former Goldman Sachs Title: Vice Chairman – 2004
    <b>Steve Shafran</b>: Bush II Administration: Advisor on setting up TARP to Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson 2008 Former Goldman Sachs Title: Private equity business in Asia until 2000
    <b>Kendrick R. Wilson III</b>: Bush II Administration: Advisor on setting up TARP to Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson 2008 Former Goldman Sachs Title: Chairman of Goldman’s financial institutions groups
    <b>Robert Zoellick</b>: Bush II Administration: United States Trade Representative (2001-2005), Deputy Secretary of State (2005-2006), World Bank President (2007-), Former Goldman Sachs Title: Vice Chairman, International (2006-07)

    ----------------------------------------------

    Note: This doesn't include those who served under Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, and so on .... this has been going on for awhile now, and Democrats and Republicans both bend over for it.

    And now we're all bending over for it.

    Let me say it again - deciding whether Wall Street or the Federal Regulators are to blame is a pointless and stupid game ... because THEY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE.
     
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  17. NotInMyHouse

    NotInMyHouse Member

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    Excellent, informative, yet terrifying post Thadeus! So what can we do about all of this Goldman Sachs/Goverment incest?
     
  18. Classic

    Classic Member

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    Thank you.
     
  19. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    we're on this again? Ok, how much did Goldman Sachs, Inc. contribute?
     
  20. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    I know, and h1beaver MFW is the unilateral decider of what is (nothing) and isn't fraud (everything) despite never having stepped inside of a law school or a courtroom ... lol.
     

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