Merlin: Done. I don't think the distinction into two categories is nearly close enough; I think we need to break up 'financial capital(-ists)' into finer detail, before broadly painting any brushes. The alchemy that is young - debtor, middle-aged investor, old-age pensioner is exactly how deferred present value becomes actual value in the future; that alchemy exists because it works for all involved. There is benefit to the young-debtor (accelerated realization of value/ trade of future value for present value), benefit to the middle-aged investor(performing use of marginal excess value) and there is benefit to the old-age pensioner(successful realization of future value from past investment of excess present value.) WIthout that alchemy, how does deferred present value get converted to an actual value in the future in any reasonable fashion? Most present value deteriorates; it can't simply be placed in a barn for 40 years. But then, to this process, come the sharks, who find games at every opportunity. The scavengers, the preyers. The scumbags who prey on elderly independents in their living rooms, who take their capital, buy $800/mo annuities, and sell them $200/mo annuities...but not satisfied with that, come back in two months and tell them they can convert that to a $205/mo annuity, but never mind the detail that ts will cost them 10% of principal...and who keep tag-teaming these bewildered elderly unsophisticates until they are cleaned out. That exact process is an 'industry' in the 'financial services' industry; one which many state governments can do nothing about. After all, the bewildered elderly are adults, not wards of the state. Before my parents passed a few years ago, my sister and I discovered a scumbag like this hosing them down in their living room. What I did next, I am very carefully explaining in words here, and would gladly sign an affidavit that this is exactly what I did. When I learned the details barely after the fact, I had my parents abort the latest attempt at a thrashing, wrote a complaint to the annuity company involved, copied the state atty general's office, ... but not before explaining quietly to the scumbag in my parents driveway -exactly- what I would do, and how I would have it done, and who would do it, if I ever got wind that he was anywhere in the state an hour from now. This was after my sister begged me in the living room, "Don't hurt him." I didn't. I took photos of him and his license plate and business card with my phone, (he'd tooled up to PA from AZ to cruise for elderly victims), I speed dialed an old associate with the first name 'Abdiehl' in Panama who runs a small firm that specialized in international business consulting, I discussed this business matter with him in front of this scumbag, who was kind of crying at this point for some reason, I requested a 'Tiverton Special" while looking the asshole in the eyes. I hung up, and then I asked the asshole two questions. "Are they going to have any problem with their Free Look in unwinding the last thrashing, which you are going to put in writing for me right now before you leave?( Free Look is a statutory opportunity to cancel a past transaction after a 'review' period; we'd aborted the current thrashing.)" and "Will I ever see or hear about you ever again?" He answered correctly, and then I let the SOB out of the driveway by backing my Jeep out from behind his car. I followed him until he was on the turnpike. Because what this asshole was doing was entirely 'legal.' Well fuck that. That is nothing but legal plunder. My sister and I had long educational talk with my parents, the 85 year old adults, and they had no such problems for the short remainder of their years. They passed in their early 90s. That works locally, and in this world, that is what it takes. The law, as it stands, is no help at all. The law, as it stands, is written by and for these assholes. But legal plunder in the 'financial services industry' takes all kinds of forms. The CEO of Fed Exp wrote about this in the WSJ several years ago. Why is it that a company like FED EXP, who buys airplanes and hires people and provides a service, is limited by reasonable banking principles to a 15% debt to asset ratio (0.15 of assets), but an enterprise like LTCM or some other cockamamee pure scoreboard play can operate with a debt to asset ratio of 5000% (500 .0 times assets)? That is the only way some of these odd financial plays can ever 'work.' How can that ever by justified? I'd love to hear the explanation. Especially when it is exactly such nonsense that the entire nation ended up backstopping. That complete nonsense in plain sight is -exactly- why much of the legal plunder 'financial services industry' is reviled, and not just by Marxists. What no value added carcass carving scumbags are devouring in their fraternal free-for-some is unsightly beyond belief. What many of these scumbags are doing has nothing to do with building beast, it is pure carving carcass. Their unsightly plunder has done far more to damage not only 'capitalism' in this nation but the alchemy I outlined at the start of this rant, than any fringe group of crunchy Marxists pushing their nonsense. regards, Fred
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