The Financial Come Down

This weekend I had the unfortunate experience of getting in a political discussion while drunk (don’t do it) and outnumbered by staunch conservatives. Although we had no real revelations (my argument came down to asking them to read a history book), there was one outrageous statement I can’t get out of my head.

It was made by a gentleman from the financial sector. To paraphrase he proclaimed, “the only time this country is great is when the rich elite exist and have control and people make (money) whatever they want.” He then went on a rant about poor people, whining and more rich being richer and the only successful nation is that of the rich.

It was met by gasps from all sides. I looked at him befuddled, another person called him crazy and another person said “I just can’t agree with you on that.”

But it got me thinking, do some people in the financial world believe this? Or perhaps just the ones we are currently bailing out? The Citigroups of the world? Where could he have developed such a thought? Had I ever met someone so heartless before?

The more I meet people from the financial sector I am coming to the conclusion that some really believe they have a one up on others. They have insider tips and an understanding of finances us lay folk can’t comprehend. This gentleman not only decried economists all together, he spat on the middle class and lower class and well people in general, aside from the “elite.”

Now I might be a novice at finance, but I do understand one thing about finance, it is playing with other peoples’ money. There is no solid. With all the hoopla, catch phrases and ups and downs, the financial sector is based off of nothing tangible. It is essentially made up of educated guesses, flow charts, graphs, tons of numbers and predictions which remind me of another habitual and sometime profitable past time in Illinois, off track betting.

Except in off track betting people lose their own money or you end up dealing with Big Louie aka the Shark aka Bloody Knuckles aka Don’t Mess Wit aka Remova Pinka aka Mo Money Mo Problems and not Big Brother.


I am Frank Chow and I approved this message.