TOON: The Weasels of Wall Street

[gregcrawford]

The Weasels of Wall Street: An editorial cartoon by Gregory Crawford. Copyright © 2014 World News Trust .

Cartoon link: http://worldnewstrust.com/toon-The-Weasels-of-Wall-Street-gregory-crawford
Gregory Crawford's WNT profile page: http://worldnewstrust.com/Gregory-Crawford/
Gregory Crawford's WNT blog page: http://worldnewstrust.com/all-items/?layout=author&authorid=380
Gregory Crawford's website: http://crawford.airlight.us/

[Fred Sanders]

1. Demonization by using rodent and animal caricatures of humans is what happened in Rwanda.

My opinion is the post is inappropriate. Should I alert?

[scarletwoman]

2. What a totally absurd thing to say.

McConnell has been pictured as a turtle for years - I seriously doubt that anyone has ever been inspired by that depiction to committ murder. Do you alert on Tom Tomorrow cartoons?

[Fred Sanders]

4. You have tunnel vision and did not see the rest of the cartoon? Is that why you wrote this?

[gregcrawford]

15. Just wondering...

... Do you work on Wall Street? Can't imagine another reason to rush to defend the honor of liars and thieves who have no honor. Just sayin'...

[gregcrawford]

9. You're right. The cartoon is a disservice...

... to vermin and reptiles, and I apologize to weasels, tortoises, and snakes everywhere for unfairly characterizing them as banksters and politicians. My bad!

[Fred Sanders]

10. Yes, it is a bad, not yours because not your cartoon. That was my point.

[gregcrawford]

11. Say WHUT?!!?

Freddie, that statement didn't even make any sense! You off your meds again, son?

[gregcrawford]

18. "...because not your cartoon?"

So, Freddie, are you saying you don't think I wrote or drew this cartoon? Is THAT your point? As appears to be the case with every post of yours that I have seen elsewhere on DU, you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground. It looks to me like your just a sad little man who trolls other people's posts for whatever pleasure you get from stirring up trouble. Get help, Freddie. Really. And a remedial English course wouldn't hurt, either.

[Bohemianwriter]

20. I Agree!

This is a disgusting defarmation of rodants...

They do less harm to humanity than the characters they portray....

[scarletwoman]

3. A belated welcome to DU!

I see you've been around for awhile, I'm sorry I've missed you up to now.

Beautifully drawn work. I'll definitely keep an eye out for your future posts! Thanks for being here!

[gregcrawford]

8. Thank you, Miss Scarlet!

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance! There are more cartoons buried somewhere in the recent DU archives, and at the link for World News Trust. There will be more to come that are also likely to annoy some of the trolls, but whatever. Such people must have really hated Walt Kelly's "Pogo" back in the day!

[Gothmog]

5. Great cartoon

[gregcrawford]

14. Hey thanks!

I'm uncertain how I should address you... Mr. Mog? Please advise.

BTW, what flag is that?

Have a great Christmas!

[malthaussen]

6. Good cartoon, but where are the Democrats?

This was a bi-partisan sellout, and the orders for it came from the very top.

-- Mal

[gregcrawford]

7. You're absolutely right...

... but the "very top" is not the White House, or the tool installed there as president, but Lloyd "We're doing God's work" Blankfein, Jamie Dimon, and the host of others whose endless litany of despicable crimes enriched themselves while they impoverished the rest of us. There are more than a few self-serving DINOs who should be represented by blue neckties among the weasels, but the policies that have brought us to this crisis point originated largely on the Dark Side of the aisle.

Blue-ties shall definitely feel the stinging lash of my acid wit in future 'toons!

Acid wit, Gregory? Come on... ;-}

[Bill USA]

12. one technique of RW to dodge responsibility for their perfidies is to say "Dems do it too!"...

In a system which makes having a large bankroll necessary to compete in elections, the Democrats are forced to compete for money from the usual sources and this does introduce moral dilemmas for Democrats. Of course, NOBODY ever claimed Democrats were personifications of Jesus Christ. They are humans with the standard weaknesses. But in a system where huge 'war chests' are necessary to get elected, Democrats are increasingly being put in difficult positions - competing for money from the wealthy sources - but still fighting for the interests of the little guy. This system of elections being bought by the big money interests is detrimental, over time, to our Democracy. This worries Democrats but doesn't bother Republicans at all - they celebrate Citizens United. But to make an equivalence of some Democrats behaving badly to Republicans doing what they normally do - and doing what they certainly don't need to be forced to do - is patent sophistry and a con game of the most contemptible sort.

There is an essential difference between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats believe in Government .. that is a democratic government - which acts in the interests of [font size="3"]all[/font] the people - even those who aren't wealthy and cannot pay for lobbyists to undermine democratic government. Republicans, on the other hand, are NOT confronted with any ethical dilemmas when it comes to taking contributions from the rich and powerful. Republicans aren't bothered at all at delivering the expected services - in terms of filibustering laws which are good for the nation as a whole, but which their contributors are opposed to - or in sabotaging enacted laws by writing regulations, which are supposed to implement the law, in such a way as to provide ways around that law to those who are to be regulated by the law. Republicans consistently act in the interest of those who can pay the most for services rendered. Their reward is to become more important to the Republican party and on retirement becoming lobbyists or being given 6 figure sinecures at former contributors enterprises.


The Republicans in the most recent negotiations of the Funding bill for 2015 included an amendment which rolls back a provision of the Dodd-Frank Bill which prohibited Banks from using Federally insured deposits for gamgling in Credit Default Swaps. (The amendment was written by Citibank lobbyists!) This means if the banks lose money gambling on CDSs the taxpayers have to bail them out for their gambing losses. Now, to any Democrat this is abhorrent. Democrats believe the Government should not be underwriting banks gambling losses. But Republicans wanted that amendment in the funding bill. Note there is NO ECONOMIC OR ETHICAL RATIONALE FOR INCLUSION OF SUCH AN AMENDMENT. BUT THE REPUBLICANS PUT IT IN THERE WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF SHAME. President Obama urged Democrats to vote for the bill with the outrageous (to Democrats) amendment in there - WHY?... BECAUSE ANY BILL THAT WOULD BE NEGOTIATED WITH REPUBLICANS AFTER JAN 1 WOULD BE EVEN WORSE!!. That's a shameful reality which the Republicans are not bothered a bit for being responsible for.

see: Wallstreet's Wolfpack dispenses with the sheeps clothing

[font size="3"]
The Republicans have long used the tactic of forcing Democrats to accept the least bad of a number of bad alternatives and later (often after disaster sets in) saying: "Look the Democrats voted for it!"

... OR: "The Democrats do it toooooo."[/font]

[gregcrawford]

13. OK, Bill, you're my new hero!

You fuckin' NAILED it, ol' son! YAH! THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!

Greg

[Bill USA]

16. well, I have been at this for 'some' time. By 'at this' I mean trying to understand the Republican

mind. Actually, my real interest is in policies - especially pertaining to economics - which produce the best results - for the most people. I was FORCED to start figuring out the Republicans Mentality in the course of trying to figure out what has gone wrong so many times in D.C.

What is so important about DU is that it enables us 'seekers of truth', to be a little poetical, to help each other out in figuring out what's going on. Nobody can keep up with all the scams the Plutocrats' Pecker Prandials (GOP political operatives) are constantly hatching. It takes a lot of eyes to catch the good articles, latest books, new studies, university research and share them with each other to keep abreast of things. With M$M owned/controlled by the corporate interests, it makes gleaning meaningful information and insights from the internet just about our only hope...(with proper recognition of the efforts of people at MSNBC).

We all gotta help each other out, because Jamie Diamond, et al, will have every bill out of our wallets before we can say "Hey, I think we're getting screwed here!".

.....Or as one character in 'Long Hot Summer' had to say about Ben Quick, an opportunist entirely devoid of conscience:

".... if you should happen to go to see him on business, go out nekkid. That way you won't feel the cold comin' back."

[gregcrawford]

17. Hi Bill...

... and Merry Christmas, Serene Saturnalia, Happy Hannukah, Carefree Kwanzaa, Fa-la-la Festivus, or whatever gives you the warm fuzzies.

I've been an attentive political observer for the best part of half a century. I met Ayn Rand after hearing her speak in 1968 when I was 21. You can do the math. I am a card-carrying curmudgeon.

Rand was a 3rd-rate hack professionally, and a repugnant pig in her personal interactions. I mention Alisa Rosenbaum (her real name) because I believe her bumper-sticker political "philosophy" of pathological selfishness has given a thin, greasy film of legitimacy to the malevolent machinations of psychopaths like the Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch, and the banksters like Dimon that you mentioned. It is not hyperbole to say that the evil perpetrated by these people and their malignant minions (yeah, I kinda like alliteration!) have brought the nation, and the world, to the edge of annihilation in their rabid pursuit of profit at any price.

But, for one day at least, let's take a break, spike some eggnog, and catch our breath, before we rejoin the battle. That's what I'm going to do right after I post my newest editorial cartoon later today.

Best regards,

Greg

[Bill USA]

19. Ayn Rand's independent "Free" man...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101640222

Yeah, she was a genuine mental case (must have had a seriously traumatic childhood). She provided dime-store Nietzsche-ism for the masses (and Nietzsche was about as sane as she was).

didn't know that was her real name. I guess her doctrine of uncompromising, obdurate self assertion was elastic enough to allow for the use of a pseudonym. LOL!

.... thanks for the info, from a fellow early Baby-boomer.