Organized Crime Situation: What exactly has to happen before this stuff falls under RICO?

[kpete]

What exactly has to happen before this stuff falls under RICO. How is this not an organized crime situation?

It is an organized crime situation. The SEC covering up Wall St. crimes for 10 years pretty much qualifies as an act of organized crime. Goldman's big short on products it was selling as high-quality investments to its clients qualifies as an act of organized crime. The attempt to settle the MERS fraud for pennies on the dollar qualifies as at least organized pseudo-criminality. Heck, the circumstances of the entire bank bailout itself above and beyond the official TARP monies is a story of probable criminal behavior by itself. Matt Taibbi has been documenting Wall St. organized crime for years now.

Tons of links here:
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/slouching-toward-weimar-by-david-atkins.html

Ultimately, what defenders of the Obama Administration have to understand is that the refusal to hold even a single one of these criminals to account for their actions (much less the organizations themselves) has been the most damaging decision the Administration has made both with the progressive base and with independents. One can argue the motives for that decision until the cows come home (be it corruption, lack of political power, a desire to instill confidence in a rocky financial system on the brink of collapse, etc.), but in the end it doesn't matter.

The American public knows that something is deeply, deeply wrong with the system. We have seen three consecutive wave elections, which is unprecedented in modern American politics. What that means is that people are lashing out, looking for answers from someone. Anyone.

The Rest:
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/slouching-toward-weimar-by-david-atkins.html

[DirkGently]

1. There's plenty to prosecute, if there was the political will to do so.

[zeemike]

2. RICO was intended for those people not able to afford justice

And so they could confiscate their property....mostly for drug dealers.
I don't ever recall organized crime prosecution where the confiscated their property.

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[rucky]

4. This is why it is impossible to "look forward" without justice first.

[Frustratedlady]

5. I keep saying that the children are watching. Don't blame the kids in 5-10 years

when they finish college and head for the PACs and Wall Street where the big money is. My grandkids say their college friends discuss it all the time. Hey, you don't have to worry about getting caught...they never do anything to you. Fortunately, my g/k's have heard "Grandma" warn of a verbal hide-tanning if she ever catches them following what these politicians, bankers and brokers are doing and getting away with.

I keep sayin' but no one is listenin'.

[CanonRay]

6. First, the DOJ has to get some cojones

which they currently lack.

[jwirr]

7. Someone in the justice department needs to start looking into it. nt