Have we become morally bankrupt?
 

This fandango with Madoff is unbelievable to me, how is it possible for this to have gone on for this long? Where are the ethics? Where is the morality? Is all anyone cares about is making a buck and being able to smirk at those less fortunate?

As Gordon Gecko said in that great flick 20 someodd years ago "greed is good," however I can't even imagine that character stooping to the levels of Madoff. Lives have been ruined, and those less forunate will never see the largess promised by a multitude of charities. The lesson to be learned is trust no one, but more importantly it's not what you have financially, it's what is in your heart. This world we live in right now needs some character because it is certainly lacking in the supposed leaders of industry and our political world.

As a Jewish person, this is even more disgraceful.

Regardless of the inherent problem with this: Jews stick together. And what I mean by that is that due to cycles of persecution against them (us), Jews have had one thing they could always rely upon, a fellow Jew. And in times where there isn't much persecution, Jewish people prefer to not only to do business together, but trust one another and that a level of honesty will be kept since you are dealing with a fellow Jew. Madoff took advantage of that concept on a monumental scale. And he really took advantage of that trust and idea that Jewish people won't f-ck another Jew over.

Charities, university endowments and wealthy families, DONE!

I have nothing to add jetswin, when you think about it on moral level, you have to wonder if morality even exists anymore

That's an interesting post, I was listening to Savage last night and he was discussing that jewish mindset of almost blind faith...not the point of my post nonetheless, but interesting.

I think I'm missing something. What's this deal with Madoff? And who is Madoff?

Bernie Madoff? He made off with 50 billion...it's kind of a big story :D

To the cheers of the young Reganites who are now being caught defrauding the public today. This is chickens coming home to roost -- its too bad so many innocent people are getting caught up in the fallout.

Paulie, seriously?

Correction, he swindled 50 billion and lost all of it.....

Ok, so you know Madoff was a money machine for the Democratic party, and Chuckie Schumer in particular. I was and remain a huge fan of Reagan and swindling anyone has never crossed my mind. Be careful with your assumptions.

You are the poster child of RDS.

You Sir, Are a young Idiot. Wall street is loaded with Dems. Get your facts right before you post asinie comments. I don't know for sure but I'll bet the Madoff scum-bag is a Dem. And to others who read this (excluding the moron whom I'm responding too) Yes there are plenty of Repub criminals as well.

So says the guy with symptoms of ODS plastered all over his post...;)

the irony of the Madoff situation is that everyone knew something was up - you can't ALWAYS win, month after month, year after year. The word was they were insider trading but that didn't stop people from investing. In other words, buyer beware and there's no such thing as money for nothing.

Not saying that that Republicans are responsible for the swindling and Democrats are not. Reaganites, as people are fond of repeating had many democrats among them. Is there any doubt that every human of any political party in the history of the world has a nearly equal capacity for personal corruption?

What I'm saying is that the culture of this particular form of fiscal greed that pervades our system is a product of the Reagan movement. "Government is the problem!" Really? No -- a bunchy of rich A-holes of any persuasion who believe they should face no accountability ever because regulation is anti-growth is the problem. Sadly the last Republican to feel that way was Teddy Frickin' Roosevelt. And, by the way -- say what you will about the "centrist" corporatist democrats like Schumer and Clinton and...basically all of the Senate. They don't represent me -- they cave on every issue of importance to working people. I view them as better than Republicans for two reasons: 1) There is a slim chance that we might get healthcare and energy/environmental reform with them and 2) They protect us from the religious crazies of the Republican party. The rest of what they do is dubious at best.

You've never bother to get yours straight before your asinine posts. Maybe I'm just playing down to the level of my opposition.

Same thing with Enron. All the eggs in one basket. Sorry you knew better but you were GREEDY.

I think this is right on -- there is a susceptibility in the mindset of some older Jewish men to trust in "menschkeit" with other Jewish men. It seems like a lot of otherwise canny players had their guard down here.

I know you are but what am I. Go back to tickling Mr. Dick in the corner.

Just ask Fred Wilpon $300Million. This is beyond greed. WTF has this world come to?

Dick jokes? really? You insult me for stating an opinion you think is wrong and then act like a child about a mild response in kind. A Reaganite to the end I see.