This is Joseph Stiglitz
He won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001. He is Professor at Columbia University and former Chief Economist at the World Bank. You can download his full CV here
I mention this because its important to read his words and remember who is saying them.
“Bankruptcy laws were amended in 2005 to introduce a system of “partial indentured servitude.”
He finds the abuses of power in America are worse than oligarchic Russia:
“It is not particular judges who are bought, but the laws themselves, through campaign contributions and lobbying, in what has come to be called “corruption, American-style.”These are quotes from his op-ed piece in The Slate.
If you would like to see him explain it check out
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/20/nobel_laureate_joseph_stiglitz_on_how
I mean, I know what he is saying. Hell, I’ll be snapping at the computer screen, clamoring “Sing it, Sista!” And that would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
And then a few weeks later I might find myself in a polite conversation about US mortgage crisis and then what the hell am I supposed to say ?
I mean can I really say what I think? That which is not much different from what Prof. Stiglitz believes?
Not really. Not with most audiences. Because I’m not Joe Stiglitz. And there is a point of diminishing returns representing your informed and slightly pissed-off point of view. People get turned off by that kind of talk. I mean coming from me its easily waved off as slightly extremist and mostly irrelevant.
But here he is the hero of the day – Stiglitz – calling it like it is.
And then I think of Michelle Bachmann and her tantrums that are just a decoy for people to look this way while the real treachery takes place. The fight is not about family values, same sex marriage, abortion, immigration or small government those are distractions so no one can pay attention to the boring stuff like financial deregulation, insurance laws and the privatization of war.
And while John Stewart is a top grade super hero, so is Bill Maher, who explains that the bat-shit can be found on both sides but NOT in the same amounts nor to the same degrees.
So you know what, you don’t have to tell everyone what you really think. Just tell the them what Joe thinks. You know the other Joe – not the Plumber.
