Rahm Emanuel = Gordon Gekko?

[Cerridwen]

Poll question: Rahm Emanuel = Gordon Gekko?

Gordon Gekko.

[dflprincess]

1. Gordon Gekko was Michael Douglas' character in "Wall Street"

Rahm is more the Charlie Sheen character (only older) - a willing pawn ready to do his master's dirty work.

[Cerridwen]

2. Thank you for replying.

You think he's more pawn than deal maker? I find that interesting. Not in a bad way. Just interesting.

:hi:

[dflprincess]

3. A pawn of Wall Street

I think he's their main contact in the White House and the pipeline to Obama.

[Cerridwen]

4. Ahhhhh. That makes more sense.

I was thinking a pawn of the President, which made no sense to me.

But yeah, Wall Street.

*nodding*

[EFerrari]

5. I don't know. Rahm is more like the "Trouble with Tribbles" only, on the inside.

[Cerridwen]

6. I'm so busy laughing out loud.

What do you mean, "on the inside?"

He's the Romulan?

:rofl:

You're killin' me!

:rofl:

[Cerridwen]

7. For the few who won't click the link:

Gekko has become a symbol in popular culture for unrestrained greed (with the signature line, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good"), often in fields outside corporate finance.

On September 25, 2008 Michael Douglas, acting as a UN ambassador for peace, was at the 2008 session of the United Nations General Assembly. Reporters sought to ask him off topic questions about Gordon Gekko; "Douglas was asked whether he bore some responsibility for the behaviour of the greed merchants who had brought the world to its knees thanks to his (aka Gekko's) encouragement."<3> Trying to return to topic Douglas tried to "suggest that the same level of passion Wall Street investors showed should also apply to getting rid of nuclear weapons."<3>

The actor was also asked to compare nuclear Armageddon with the "financial Armageddon on Wall Street".<4> After one reporter inquired "Are you saying, Gordon, that greed is not good?"<4> Douglas stated "I'm not saying that. And my name is not Gordon. It's a character I played 20 years ago."<4><3>

On October 8, 2008 the character was referenced in a speech by the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in his speech "The Children of Gordon Gekko" concerning the Financial crisis of 2007-2008. Rudd stated “It is perhaps time now to admit that we did not learn the full lessons of the greed-is-good ideology. And today we are still cleaning up the mess of the 21st-century children of Gordon Gekko.”<5>

On July 28 2009, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone cited Gekko's greed is good slogan in a speech to the Italian senate, saying that the free market had been replaced by a greed market, and also blamed such a mentality for the 2007-2008 financial crisis. <6>

[Cerridwen]

8. Aww, and I thought it was such a cute poll. G'nite all. n/t

[Greyhound]

9. Yes, but this one didn't get caught. n/t