Vinny G., yes, that’s why I noted that things had gotten out of control in the financial sector.

In a new post furthering this discussion I quoted the following:

“Greed is something that can never be satisfied. Greed and slothfulness have similarities in definition. The greedy and slothful both crave material goods as well as they have no desire to work for or to exchange anything of value for the object of their desires. The slothful will not work even for basic necessities much less add value to the world around them. The greedy will use deception to acquire material goods. The greedy will lie and use false pretenses to acquired goods at the expense of others.”

It is the greedy who are slothful, not their victims. But, I’m sure that’s why you find it galling that the victims are labelled as slothful.

Why aren’t we in the streets ?

Raising the marginal tax rates on the big paychecks is really the most direct way for us all to share the wealth. The effect of marginal rate tax cuts are non-linear, positive when the rates are high and incomes are moderate (low wealth concentration) , but utterly disasterous when rates are low and incomes are high (high wealth concentration).

Tax all earned income the same, no more free ride for the idle rich.

Tax the hell out of unearned income icluding, and especially, inheritence and gifts and gambling winnings.

The tax law is the most direct form of control of the elite by the masses.

Pass a national health bill that guarantees health care through a public health service. Delete the so called health insurance model from the landscape. It doesn’t work.

And there are more and more downtrodden people every day, it seems. I ride the EL (Chicago’s outdated subway system) every day, and I can see how during these past few years there are more and more people who just look very poor, ill, marginalized, and (hopefully) angry. One does not usually see those people by driving to work, which I almost never do anymore. And downtown Chicago, where I work, there are more and more homeless folks on the streets. It’s getting cold in Chicago now, but if you take a walk after 9 pm in the “Loop” (downtown area where most banks are), you see hundreds of people sleeping on the sidewalk in broken sleeping bags or dirty comforters. A few weeks ago I was having dinner at a restaurant with a sidewalk terrace, and every 2 minutes or so there was another person that stopped to ask me for money. Most did not look homeless. I really don’t know what kind of country we are becoming, leaving so many fellow citizens behind.

We are so far removed from “love your neighbor as yourself”… God have mercy on us.

Vinny G.

BTW, I teach psychology and psychiatry also. Although my teaching is oriented more toward the clinical and applied aspects of training clinicians.

Vinny G.