In March 2008 I wrote a blog post called “Who Does Obama Work For?” I was interested in where the funding for his election campaign was coming from. This was still early in the campaign, about 7 months before the election. At the time, his biggest single source of funding was Goldman Sachs and their employees. (The same source, OpenSecrets.org, now lists Goldman as only the second largest contributor, after the University of California). Apparently Michael Moore also makes mention of this fact in his new film, Capitalism (which I’m yet to see…. Rob Irwin, I’m looking at you).
I just remembered this today while listening to a recent episode of No Agenda where they mentioned that Adam Storch, a Goldman Sachs VP, has been made “COO of SEC Enforcement” under the Obama administration.
It looks like investing in Obama was a good bet for Goldman. Their stock value increased from $53.31 a share when Obama was elected to about $187.32 today. And they’ve skated through the financial crisis (which some people think they deliberately created) and hold many powerful positions in the Obama administration.
Other high level financial positions held in the Obama administration by former Goldman Sachs executives are Neel Kashkari, heading the TARP bailout; Mark Patterson, Chief of Staff for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner; Gary Gensler, top executive at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and finally Goldman has its top lobbyist, Michael Paese, Rep. Barney Frank’s top aide, who is the chair of the House Financial Services Committee. (source)
This is one of the inescapable downsides of capitalism. The people with the money buy the power. They also buy the media which, in turns, indoctrinates people with a belief in how great capitalism is.
Go back to sleep, America. Goldman Sachs is in control.
i know you think americans are ignorant, lazy fatasses who sit around munching on doritos while watching the UFC and farting away. and that is probably true to a large degree. but not all of us are like that of course. there are folks like myself here in america who don’t even watch the television because it’s nothing but propaganda. i don’t pay even attention to what’s going on, because it frustrates me and i feel powerless. i fucking hate this goddamned country. but again, i feel powerless, and i’m too busy trying to be a responsible indentured servant to do anything about it.
My girlfriend, an American, also never watches TV and doesn’t fit the American stereotype. How can anyone feel powerless in this internet age? We have the tools to change things at our fingertips. Literally.
Obviously, the American economy has gone down the toilet, just like your grammar, punctuation, and capitalization skills!
I am also an American and feel the change coming. Not this crap ‘change and hope’ spiel from the powers that be, but real honest change from being a hated, warmongering country the world hates back to a bastion of freedom.
It isnt going to be easy, and people will probably die but “the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” – Jefferson.
Steve, I can’t see any way out of the elite-driven mind control that currently runs the US (and Australia btw) except another revolution. Of course, THIS time, unlike 1775, it needs to genuinely come from the lower classes and not the wealthy elite.
This is old news, but for most who are ignorant of what the ruling elite are up for Amerika and the planet.
Reminds me here of what I read in James Howard Kunstler’s “The Long Emergency”:
“We’ve turned into this nation of overfed clowns, riding around in clown cars, eating clown food, watching clown shows. We’ve become a nation of cringing, craven fuckups.”
Here is a creation that fits very well with the thesis of your article: http://www.cafepress.com/+obama_inc_owned_and_operated_by_goldman_sachs,418673249
….a tee shirt with the theme …I came up with it independently but evidently great minds really do think alike.
Nice t-shirt! I’m going to tweet it.
btw: I linked in my 1st comment to tee shirt on cafe press…its not spam. I just do not like Obama so I made the shirt