Sound investment

This article, which specifically discusses Goldman Sachs' defense of the charges against it, reveals what I consider to be a strong element of what's wrong with the financial markets of today:  It's considered OK to make bad investments, because you can always bet against them or find other ways of pushing the risk off onto someone else.

Wouldn't it be better to research potential investments more thoroughly and only invest in the ones that seem sound?

Of course, when you can't trust the bond ratings, how do you know?

Well, then perhaps it might be better to just stay away from financial derivatives altogether?

Rude awakenings

In which a well-meaning woman starts up a 'kinder, gentler, more civil' opposition movement to the Tea parties, and is surprised to find that it doesn't work out that way.  Two months in, and "her" movement is already fracturing because some of her members don't think she's mean enough or confrontational enough, and think that this idea of people working together is a load of sentimentalist codswallop.