In 2006, the buzzword was accountability...

[Joe Fields]

How many of you remember the 2006 mid-term election cycle? Not all that long ago, except so many events have taken place at breakneck speed since then, that it seems like a distant memory. But one of the things I remember very well was the promise of accountability by our dem leaders, should they be swept into dominance.

Why do I bring this up now? BECAUSE WE ARE STILL WAITING?

Those of us, who believe in fairness, responsibility, accountability and justice are still waiting for the accountability that Pelosi and others said were one of the main reasons they were swept into power.

For the moment, I will not focus on Bush/Cheney, et al so much, as I want to focus on the immorality and pervasive criminal climate of Wall Street. (although the two are closely connected)

It has been said here and elsewhere,(and I agree) that there is a Grand Canyon sized crisis of confidence and trust between Americans and the financial overlords of Wall Street. Hordes of Americans are selling off their investments, due to this lack of trust. The industry won't lend money because of a lack of trust in the consumer. We have perfectly good reason to be mistrustful, when industry mouthpieces, the likes of Jim Cramer openly admit to gross violations of market manipulation. Men like Cramer are dangerous, as they have access to a television camera and a mic, to reach millions of investors every day to impart their "wisdom" on. It would be naive to think that Jim Cramer is an isolated incident. Every type of market, from the stock markets, to commodities and futures markets have been grossly manipulated by an army of Jim Cramers, to the detriment of this country and the millions of citizens with mutual fund holdings or futures contracts.

We are at a crossroads, and if if someone doesn't clear a path and lay out a well defined trail for us to follow, then how will we ever solve this financial meltdown we are in? It then becomes nothing more than a death spiral, which many people claim is here already and cannot be reversed. Frankly, I'm not on that particular bandwagon, yet. But, as I say this, I will also readily concede that, unless Congress, with the Justice Dept. get serious about investigating and prosecuting Wall Streeter's illegal dealings and make examples out of these scum, then yes, we will circle the drain.

But until that happens, until strict regulations are enacted, until vigorous oversight is enforced, then I have just one question for anyone with money in the markets: Why? Why are you playing in a rigged game that benefits wealthy movers and shakers of the market at your expense? I know this may be easy for me to say, since I have no financial position in the markets, but does it make sense to place the money you are counting on for retirement in such an environment? Is it any different than entering a craps game, knowing the house is using loaded dice? What do you think the outcome will be? What is your outcome now. How are YOUR investments? (I know, it's a simple question and the answers are anything but. If I had a quarter million or a half million dollar portfolio, I sure as hell wouldn't know where to put it, except under the mattress)

WE HAVE TO KNOW, beyond doubt that our markets are being run on the up and up for a level of confidence to take place, so that investors will be free to make choices, without the fear of the Jim Cramers of the world. I cannot underscore the importance of the type of accountability that was such a buzzword when the democrats took over. We are fatigued as a nation. We cannot continue to go from crisis to crisis, from one scandal to the next without commensurate punishment for those involved. It's really the only way that we can move on successfully.