Isn’t this a risky precedent to set? Why are these coal miners any more deserving of a eulogy from the President than say those who died on the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, or those who died in the tornadoes in Mississippi?
Amidst the dull uproar over the veiled threats from RevolutionMuslim.com, I can’t help but agree with one point the controversial site made: They didn’t start the wars, we, America, did. This is tragic and unconscionable for a society that so often uses life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as defenses. The question then remains, how do we transform our outrage into positive political action? I imagine contacting our representatives is a start, as is supporting anti-war organizations.
I don’t agree that all GS was doing was playing the bookie, or that they only realized what they’d done was a mistake in hindsight. They took out insurance on CDOs they didn’t even own (imagine taking out insurance on someone else’s car then profiting on it when they get in an accident) and re-packaged those CDOs into financial instruments which were then systemically disbursed. Then, to top it off, they made $13 billion in insurance when those CDOs went belly up while other financial institutions and investors crashed and burned around them.
Taken in the context of Goldman Sachs’ history, I don’t believe it’s possible to argue they were simply bookies. They knew what they were doing–they were in it for short-term profits, to get out before the melon hit the sidewalk, as RollingStone put it. That’s sleazy and, if not currently illegal, should be made so immediately. At the very least, GS and all those responsible should be stripped of their profits, because right now they’ve made off with billions of tax payer dollars, meanwhile the gulf between the rich and poor continues to grow. In the larger context, Mr. Zakaria, GS and other culpable firms are swindlers and robbers, not innocent victims of financial complexity.
Does it get better, Mr. Vice President? Can we legally marry, visit our significant others in the hospital, receive the same tax benefits as heterosexual couples, serve openly in the military, not have to worry about hate crimes for walking down the street hand-in-hand with our loved one?
It hasn’t gotten better, that’s the lie here. We get older and wiser, but it doesn’t get better. We become jaded, stuck in our state of learned helplessness, and succumb to the heteronormative culture that surrounds us.
You, however, Mr. Vice President, and your boss, do have the power to ensure it gets better and you’ve done little since your election to significantly move our country forward on gay rights.