What's wrong with our banking system.... and nation

One of the big things that's wrong with our country--the bankers, running it.

Check this out:

JPMorgan Executive May Escape Penalty

This is a real beauty.

On top of all else JP Morgan has done for themselves but against the American people and against the country, here's one of their executives who a) apparently lied to a court, under oath then, b) said she did (lied to the court) so that c) "the nation's top energy regulator is poised to extract a record settlement from JPMorgan Chase over accusations...it manipulated power markets" but, voila!, d) this JP Morgan Chase executive is going to apparently get off, scott-free from any charges.

JPM Chase will no doubt pay a huge fine, a penalty, then disavow any guilt and again, the executive will walk.

Isn't that just a nice, neat little package?

I'm sure the same would happen for you or I, even though we're middle- or lower-class and have no such millions or billions of dollars behind us.

Right?

Good news. Let's go after 'em

U.S. sues big oil traders for 2008 manipulation

 

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators launched one of the biggest ever crackdowns on oil price manipulation on Tuesday, suing two well-known traders and two trading firms owned by Norwegian billionaire John Fredriksen for allegedly making $50 million by squeezing markets in 2008. 

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said traders James Dyer of Oklahoma's Parnon Energy, and Nick Wildgoose of Europe-based Arcadia Energy, amassed large physical positions at a key U.S. trading hub to create the impression of tight supplies that would boost oil prices. 

Later they dumped those barrels back onto the market, causing prices to crash and racking up profits from short positions they had accrued in futures markets, the suit said. 

If you've ever felt you've been played, you were.  In 2008, at least.

Another sign...

Another sign that this Bush Administration is, for all intents and purposes, over with:

First, really, this has been a lame duck administration for some time--at least since last Fall's elections.

And then, this last week, rocket-scientist Scott McLellan's book came out--you know, the former Press Secretary for this knuckleheaded President--in which he really pretty much trashes the same administration for creating this war, arbitrarily and wrongly, just as we've known all along--but he puts it on paper, in his book. Sure, he shoud have spoken up at the time, when the wrong was being done but at least he's coming out now and straightening some things out and telling some truths.

So here it is--another example of how the country and maybe the world is moving on from this administration. Next weekend, the new Adam Sandler movie "You Don't Mess with the Zohan", shows that we've moved on from making terrorists and terroism the big, unknown thing to only fear. This administration used the "terrorist" and "terrorism" in all their forms, to create fear in the American public, so they could get what they want and rule with abandon.

Now, this new movie boils terrorists and terrorism down to a joke--a thing to be ridiculed and laughed at. Anyone who knows about fear and the manipulation of large groups of people knows that you can only get away with that manipulation for so long. After so much time, your foundation of fear gets put out of mind, really.

What this boils down to is that terrorists, terrorism and the use of either to create fear and, therefore, power over us, and, indeed, the Bush Administration itself, have all "jumped the shark". It's all over for all of them.

Unfortunately, the damage is already done.

American soldiers are still in harm's way and they're still sacrificing--and dying--even if it is in--thank God--smaller numbers.

Still, we're that much closer to the end of the nightmare called the Bush Presidency.

Thank God (if there were one).

Now we just need to repair the damage and heal the nation and the world.

No small job.