Cartoon Pen & Watercolour Copyright 2008 Jean Burman
HAVE A LISTEN!
Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine – Simon & Garfunkel
(funny how the lyrics work as well today as they did back then – grin)
Had it not been that the Large Hadron Collider was shut down last week… (and remains out of commission still)… we might have been forgiven for thinking that scientists had this week successfully created the first ever black hole with their new fangled contraption!
A black hole so deep and so dark and so unstable that it had successfully sucked a bunch of the world’s largest banks, institutions and corporations into the empty ugly void of financial “deep space”. A black hole of such gargantuan proportions that every man woman and child on the planet will not escape the “gravity” of it.
Alas… unable to blame the Collider (because it has already broken down)… we are forced to cast around for another villain. And what we see is something way more sinister. There at the helm of the mother ship… set on a doomsday course to oblivion… sits a bunch of egocentric greedy individuals whose free-range money grabbing actions have served to rewrite the pages of history with the blood of all those who trusted them to deliver up their dream of a better situation.
Worse still they were acting with impunity.
The fact that it has all gone badly wrong… was (and I dare say, still is)… of little consequence to the perpetrators.
Self regulation? Yeah right. No regulation? Oooo yeah even better!
Well what in the heck did we expect? Every mother out there could tell you… give a kid an inch and they will take a mile. And there is no reason to expect that growing TALLER will change a thing! (grin)
Loss of confidence in financial markets will have far reaching consequences… reverberating far beyond the US domestic market. Whether we like it or not we are in the midst of a global economic crisis. Everyone everywhere will suffer in some way. The US bailout may not successfully avert the inevitable… but it might shore up confidence just long enough to stabilise the markets for a short time until something can be worked out.
However without significant regulatory change the climate of corruption will continue to exist. What happened before will happen again. The challenge now (indeed the obligation) for politicians of every stripe is to get off their political high horse… and ensure that it can’t. This is not the time for politicking and political point scoring.
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Hey thanks for the link (and the plug) Megan!
Well that went over like a pork chop in a synagogue! (((LOL)))
With apologies of course to all my Jewish friends… ;-/
And of course there’s only one thing left to talk about and I’m simply not going there… (!) *wink* chuckles
Looks like it’s going to be a wild ride, and it won’t be over soon. Once confidence has been shattered, it will take awhile for it to be restored, no matter what is done at this point. It’s hard for me to believe that any mastermind could hold out hope for a quick turnaround. We’re holding on for dear life here.
P.S.-Jean, I’ll take that pork chop!
Love the cartoon, Jean.
Alas, “regulatory change” is dependent on legislators who are in the back pockets of those who got us into this economic black hole, and whose only interest is lobbying for regulations that will keep them safe while the house burns down around them. Just yesterday it was announced that the feds are throwing another 18.5 billion at A.I.G., the guys who got 85 billion a couple of weeks ago. It was only two days ago that the word leaked out that the A.I.G. execs treated themselves to a $440,000 junket at a luxury spa immediately after they got the original 85 billion!
Hi Feathers! You’re right… there’s no quick fix despite what gets said and done. The only way out is through. There are however positives at the best of times. The Aussie $ has slumped low against the US after being almost dollar for dollar for ages. That’s good news for exports (including arists selling overseas – grin). And great for tourism too. So like they say… “it’s an ill wind (indeed)…. that blows nobody any good”
Thanks John
I’m pleased you liked it.
Yes… it’s an appalling situation. I heard a report yesterday where AIG execs are saying it wasn’t them… but a group of their independent insurance agents and that the booking was made months ago. Still seems a bit dodgy though doesn’t it?
There has always been a war of the rich against the poor, but the poor are seldom aware of it. lol
Hi Jean..fabulous cartoon, I love how you delivered it!
I see that the current financial environment, was an accident waiting to happen. No safety nets with this baby!! Going bankrupt as I did..when I did, has turned out making things better for me personally! But I do however see and feel the plight of others. It is certainly a time when many with the cold hard cash shall be re-evaluating their lives and what material things are in it…what do we need versus what do we want???? On a much larger scale, for those who thought they were set up by living from investments, I do hold my breath and wish for more confidence in the market, so that they are able to survive. Ummm…I had a pork chop last night thanks (lol)
A pertinent thought has come to mind Jean. Whilst driving to my new address with my girls, my Emily was at the helm. She was struggling with all of the large trucks that seemed to never end in their ceaseless quest to eat up the miles. Each time a truck whooshed past us, she would slow right down and almost leave the road. My advice to her was to just keep her eyes focused on the road ahead and keep looking forward, that there would be more trucks and she had to be strong and just get past them! I have sinced used that analogy several times in regards to life itself.
Roger… Jools… so great to see you both here.
Sorry for the delay in my reply… I’ve been away for a couple of days. We were staying up at the beach for my birthday. Despite the early onset of the wet… we had a great time. I kinda love stayng at the beach in the rain… there’s something cosy about it (and as you’d know Jools cosy is not a word that generally springs to mind with regards to the tropics! LOL)
Roger… I think you may be right! LOL
Jools… so glad you are now at your new location and loving it. Tell Em I think she’s amazing for making that drive… it’s no easy feat being on the road with those bully trucks. I agree it’s a great lesson in how to cope with intimidation… and as an L plater it sounds as though she handled it no trouble. A chip off the old block perhaps? Bravo!
Thats my girl! I am so very proud of her, I would not have been able to do this without her (I miss her terribly though. she will not be back here until mid November) Both my girls have gained soooooo much from this move. I am not alone in the “growth chart” here!
I shall certainly pass on your comments Jean!