MSM Talking Heads Keep Blaming the Little Guy for the Recession - Give me a frickin' break!

[1776Forever]

I have to say this - Joe Scarborough and 2 other cronies this morning and various talking heads on Chris Matthews yesterday blame the little guy for buying a bigger house then they could afford for the reason we are having a recession. Please! Have they driven through a middle class neighborhood lately in a medium sized city like Columbus or Cleveland Ohio? There are thousands of moderate priced homes that are vacant! Cities are turning into Ghost Towns!

It wasn't the cost of homes it was the banks telling the everyday person that their homes were worth more then they were and offering them thousands more in 2nd mortgages that got us where we are, along with the ballooning mortgages that got some people in over their heads. Some people did take on more then they knew they could handle, but most people thought they would not face layoffs like we are facing now and most people did pay their bills while they still had their job! It is JOBS you idiots! It wasn't the little guy who promoted sending the jobs overseas and H-1B Visas, etc.

At least put the blame for this mess where it mainly belongs, in the labs of the Republican run Congress and Administration that lost Billions, along with putting Billions into their base and did not give a crap-ola for the Middle Class and their plight! I remember earlier this year when someone on DU placed a post about the comparison of Alan Greenspan's actions to the It's A Great Life Christmas movie. If someone could re-post that I would be very appreciative.


http://bp1.blogger.com/_lm2JI7sGwYI/SHbitvjfM0I/AAAAAAAAB7g/S3BUC3-XIks/s400/middle+class+-+lions.jpg

Cartoon by Pat Bagley -- Salt Lake Tribune

[Phred42]

1. ...and Tweety want to be in the Senate?!

:silly: :crazy: :hurts:

[csziggy]

5. To be fair - it was not Tweety in the discussion

It was Joe Scarborough, Mika, and the two dummies they have on every morning.

I was disappointed in some of the comments made by Mark Begich, the new Democratic Senator from Alaska - the guy who beat out Ted Stevens. When Joe Scarborough commended him on his values, I knew Begich would be a problem in the future, even with the (D) behind his name. Essentially Begich was making snide comments about "taxing the people who want to create jobs" - who is he talking about? The rich do not spend all their tax savings - they sock them away to make more money.

[1776Forever]

6. The Chris Matthews reverence was about his Sunday Show - Made by Heilemann & Parker

Here is a link but they don't have Sunday's show on video yet - later this week probably:

http://www.thechrismatthewsshow.com/index.php

Chris has been trying to walk a center line lately and I think he is being pretty fair about this. It is his "guests" John Heilemann, New York Magazine Columnist and Kathleen Parker, Washington Post Writers Group
Columnist that seem to be out of touch with real Middle Class struggles.

[csziggy]

19. Whoops - missed the part about the Chris Matthew show. n/t

[annabanana]

2. Between the "greedy" homebuyers who believed the "professionals"

about being able to refinance - no prob - when the balloon payment kicks in

And all those stubborn consumers who don't have the "confidence" to go out there and spendspendspend

.... it sure looks like "we" fucked up, doesn't it.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

3. Well, they can't blame the big guy.

The big guy signs their paychecks.

[JDPriestly]

4. Republicans promised that the wealth would trickle down.

That was 28 years ago. Americans relied on that promise and borrowed money in the belief that the wealth would eventually trickle down. It didn't. The Republicans' knew their promise was false when they made it. The Republicans lied and the whole country is paying for it.

Shout it loud and clear: Wealth does not trickle down.

The Republicans lied.

[chelsea0011]

7. So if you accept their logic, why would lenders give out money

to so many unqualified people and still not be held responsible?

[1776Forever]

8. Most were qualified before the bottom fell out & millions were laid off.

Most of those people were very responsible and good people!

:argh:

[danalytical]

9. It is as much the middle class's fault as the rich

Maybe they were duped or maybe they were greedy, but you can't tell me there weren't millions of people out there taking on way too much debt. I personally have witnessed a lot of people taking out second mortgages on their homes. These people were HOPING their house would be appraised at exorbitant amounts. They wanted that, it wasn't forced on them. Then they would take the loan, put on an addition or renovate, buy a new car, go on vacation, and then sell their house for more than it was worth and buy a McMansion. Now these folks are sitting on huge debts, but they also profited like crazy during all that time.

I wanted to buy a house, and I kept trying but the prices were skyrocketing out of range for a family like mine. And we are still renting and STILL can't afford to buy a house in this supposed down market. Here in CT everybody is still trying to sell tear downs for 200K. The greed party is STILL happening, just not as much as it was before.

The fact is people are greedy, and they thought this money orgy would never end. They extended themselves for material things, and now they're out on a limb that's quickly cracking off.

Of course the Republicans helped all of this along with the constant eroding of unions and workers rights. The stagnation of middle class incomes and the concentration of wealth. But the middle class lapped it up and loved their new Chevy Suburban, trip to Disney World, and 5 bedroom 3000 sq ft cookie cutter house.

[1776Forever]

12. Obviously you didn't read the post where I said the lower income homes are vacant.

Please! You are feeding into what the MSM is trying to say so go with it but I know for a fact that there are thousands of homes out there that are not 3000 sq feet and sure as HELL don't have 5 bedrooms! This is exactly what they are saying and it is NOT TRUE! Drive down a street in a middle class area and take a look! And don't think that there are NEW cars in most of these areas. Most people I know were buying 5 year or older cars and mine is 14 years old! The middle class was duped and if they wanted a few reasons to go to work and work overtime and work 2 or more jobs so be it, but I don't see new SUV's and 5 bedroom homes where I live.

[danalytical]

14. I understand your point

There are a lot of small and modest houses that also are going into foreclosure. Some of these homes were purchases by people who overpaid and they couldn't afford it. Some people lost their jobs. Some people can't afford the higher tax payments on an overvalued home. Some people refinanced into ARMs, or took a second mortgage. I'm not saying it's all the poor and middle class's fault, but I don't shy away from saying some of them share the blame.

[TahitiNut]

18. Supposition and conjecture are the poor substitutes for fact used by the biased and close-minded

When I read "you can't tell me" and a parade of anecdotes based on superficial observation and simplistic interpetation, I'm inclined to regard it as self-serving and self-aggrandizing. When I hear someone refer to "people" as "they" I know I'm listening to someone who views humanity as an outsider.

:shrug:

[danalytical]

20. Try arguing my points instead

of playing semantics and attacking me as someone "disconnected". Your post doesn't even address the subject at all.

[valerief]

21. I don't know what you're responding to because I have that person on ignore, but

I like your response!

:hi:

[danalytical]

22. So you attack me personally and then cry foul?

You are a real piece of work.

[TahitiNut]

23. Thanks. We have our share of "Social Darwinists" on DU ...

... who view themselves able to run from the bear faster than those who've been knee-capped. When we adopt a world-view that's based on "people (usually) get what they deserve" then we're inclined to interpret all we see as confirming our own intellectual and/or moral superiority. There are, of course, those times when the Social Darwinist feels unjustly treated, but it's not difficult to blame that on those "lesser" than themselves, too.

[danalytical]

25. Oh so high and mighty...

From atop your perch you dole out your judgement, yet lack any actual substance of debate on the subject at hand. Who deserves the "credit" for the situations these individuals are in? Is it all the fault of the ubiquitous "they", or were there some poor decisions made by individuals as well?

If an individual sells their house for twice what they paid, then purchases a house well outside their means thanks to their absurd profits and an ARM loan, do they get a free pass on the profits they made and the absurdly expensive house they bought?

[TahitiNut]

26. Project much?

:eyes:

[danalytical]

28. Same old contentless garbage

I guess should've expected that.

[valerief]

10. The abusive husband always blames the physically smaller wife, too. nt

[Name removed]

13. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[unpossibles]

11. to be fair, I blame some of the "little guys"

specifically the ones who voted to continue rightwing supply-side voodoo economic bullshit theories, especially in 2004 when they should have known better.

[danalytical]

15. LOL, some of them are the same ones who overbought

A lot of it does have to do with people's world and political views. It's usually the same people who quote the bible's section on Man being granted dominion over the earth, in order to justify the raping of the natural world.

[hatrack]

16. Can't wait for their reaction to the impending CRE implosion . . .

They'll doubtless say it was due to heavy-handed federal mandates that forced banks to loan huge amounts of money to poorly educated blue-collar inner-city real estate developers.

:rofl:

[Mari333]

17. Cancelled my cable, turned off my TV and never looked back

been very good for my blood pressure. :) :) :)

[ljm2002]

24. Love the 'toon...

...sums it up nicely.

These guys are still all about patting each others' backsides while giving the rest of us the finger.

Tables will turn, tables will turn...

[1776Forever]

27. Just had to say "thanks to you for the post!" I am so glad I am not alone in my feeling this!

:hi: