Not being able to prove the execs knowingly committed fraud was the problemby (reply to MM too) 04/08/2016, 5:41pm PDT
The Happiness Engine wrote:
just curious wrote:
He demands Wall Street executives be prosecuted, but either has no clue or won't admit that everything leading to the crash was perfectly legal. Which financial laws were broken?
Goldman Sachs vigorously pushing CDOs while shorting them and leaving a giant paper trail explaining to each other how dog-shit these investments were is the actual, literal, definition of fraud. I see how this is a tough concept for you.
Turns out those people are pretty good at plausible deniability. Do you have more information than the department of justice? You should email them with the info to crack the case!
You think I don't wish cancer upon those financial execs? Unfortunately, the reality is that you can't prosecute crimes when the action is legal or you lack proof. There's that whole "reality" thing getting in the way of the BERNIE SMASH dream.
You know what really pisses me off about Bernie? He's trying his hardest to push the whole "both parties are just as awful and corrupt" narrative, pledging that he's the only hope for changing that. How? By believing in faeries and clapping loudly enough? A Democratic president has enough trouble getting anything done when he is willing to compromise. How is Bernie going to get jack shit accomplished without a massive change in the house and senate? "It's going to be a long, hard road of getting what we can get until enough election cycles have passed and enough people go vote to get enough Republicans out of office so we can finally start delivering on these big promises" doesn't get people fired up at rallies and sharing bird videos.
You could argue Sanders has to avoid talk like that for an election because it's a popularity contest, but the man has based his entire 25 year political career on the everything or nothing approach.
Thanks for the personal slam though. It really does help prove that Bernie supporters aren't just shooting from the emotional hip. Man, just look at the comments in that Barney Frank video for what happens when someone is told the disappointing reality they don't want to hear.
Here's another clip of Barney telling idealistic activists what they don't want to hear.
How many messes would we not be in if all these people had voted in midterm elections, kicking enough Republicans out of office so that politicians like Frank wouldn't have to compromise and take single payer off the table? I think most people forget how pretty much every major worker and civil right bill of the 20th century was passed when Democrats enjoyed majorities. Now people are expecting another FDR when Republicans control the legislative branch. MM is setting himself up to be another scorned lover if he's expecting Bernie to somehow deliver on more promises than Obama when there are even less Democrats in the house & senate.
But that's not the overly simplistic, emotionally charged answer Rachel Maddow and her viewers want to hear. "What do you mean protesting and shouting and holding up signs alone won't get anything done? There's enough FEELS here to magically get what we want!"