Observations of Enron

Observations of Enron [+ favourites]

As is the general attitude of the populace nowadays (which leads us to the situation we find ourselves in), I think few people really know how far reaching and all consuming of America the Enron situation was.

Did you know:

1) Enron employees personally ordered shutting down California generators to cause statewide blackouts to drive the price of energy higher?

2) That many of our banks (Merill Lynch, Citibank etc) made millions of dollars by helping Enron hide losses by (in essence) lending Enron our money so Enron could keep investing and claiming future profits in exchange for the boost in the price of Enron stock?

3) That during the energy crisis in California the governor asked George W. Bush to step in and restore control of the generators to the government, and he refused?

4) DId you know that Enron was one of George W. Bush's top contributors?

5) Did you know that one of the world's top five accounting firms (that was created and had a reputation for non-negotiable ethics) went out of business soon after the Enron scandal for creative accounting and the obstruction of justice by shredding tonnes of Enron paperwork?

6) Did you know that stock analyst companies fired analysts that said anything bad about Enron stock and paid, tremendously, analysts that supported it (at the request of Enron officials)?

My main point is, this wasn't Enron. This was a substantial part of everything and everyone... they were all corrupt. All the analysts you see on the TV or read about... they can't be trusted. Your banks, can't be trusted. Big name lawyers can't be trusted. That no matter how professional or large a company or individual seems, their corruptability is very possible.

I don't understand how, in light of such a true and real story where billionaires and bank CEOs openly fucked over the public for clear personal gain, can people believe that their own President is above all the conspiracy stories that exist.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

Honestly....does that really surprise you even in the least that such CEO's and Billionaires would do what you said? How do you think the basis of the USA whole economy? It fuck everyone and make as much as you can as fast as you can.

How do you think they became so rich and powerful? By playing nice with everybody? Of course not.....would I do anything different? Who knows, I would have to be a situation where I could fuck millions of people I don’t know so that I could make millions of dollars. And the best part of it all is that the people I would be fucking over wouldn’t be none the wiser to my actions. Tell me you would not be tempted.......tell me that with 100% honesty!

I have molded my beliefs of what high powered officials and government employees actually do for the people......nothing........nothing but make them selves richer and the people they tax poorer. How the hell can the Canadian government charge me 46% personal tax and the next guy 18% tax. Both of us of a healthy stature, both of us the same age and both of us the same marital status! And because I make more than 2x what he makes they justify charging me more tax, and why I ask? Because they need to make more fucking money for their own fucking pockets...that’s why.

I am sorry I have swayed odd topic but it all kinda fit with your observation of Enron.

"My mind is tearing me apart, then it constructively puts me back together again."

Honestly, I would not be swayed. But that's not really relevant... I think the main point I'm trying to make is that although you seem to see that everyone is a bastardized liar and I also believe I know this, I don't really KNOW this.

When I walk into the bank, I don't really see them as fallible. I am intimidated by their structure and reputation and assume they will do things right. But all the way to the top, these people will fuck you over.

I mean, everyone will fuck you over. And people still fight to claim that Bush cares about the people. It's just mind boggling where reality is and where the perceived goodness of "the man" is.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

What made the enron scandal possible was not just the willingness of large groups of people to screw over others for mass amounts of money.

There were laws changed. Specifically for this purpose

Corruption in the US has been a problem, like anywhere, forever.

However, it has been getting progressively worse, and unfortunately for Bush lovers, it has tripled in speed under Bush.

The laws have been changed to support corporate robber barons who already control more wealth and power than most countries.

My point being that, of course, when corruption is "legalized", people will be more apt to participate, but the source in this case is corruption of the law itself.

Decius, I had heard most of those things, but only because I looked into it some, even listened to an entire book on cd about the case, one that oddly hardly mentioned Ken Lay and only mentioned the change of energy law as the opportunity that they mainly "messed" up, except for one guy who made shady hedge funds more for his own benefit, and his gay lover. Not Skilling but, Fastow.

So I think that was probably a bunch of half truths meant to white wash the whole event.

quote:

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I think the main point I'm trying to make is that although you seem to see that everyone is a bastardized liar and I also believe I know this, I don't really KNOW this.

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"The Greatest Enemy of Knowledge is Not Ignorance, It is the ILLUSION of Knowledge. Stephen Hawking"