Meltdown Part 1: "The Men Who Crashed The World"
When it comes to financial collapse documentaries, the public canon has one well-deserving Oscar Winner, "Inside Job", and one straight to HBO exercise in ass kissing and name dropping which shall remain nameless. Ironically, just like during the Arab Spring, it is that "dubious" Al Jazeera that shows US media how coverage of various matters, either geopolitical or financial, is done. Herein we present the first episode of Meltdown, in which we hear about four men who brought down the global economy: a billionaire mortgage-seller who fooled millions; a high-rolling banker with a fatal weakness; a ferocious Wall Street predator; and the power behind the throne. Considering we are about to experience the next Great Financial Crash, since nothing has changed at all since 2008, this should serve as a prominent reminder of all that happened, and a flashback to the future, of all that is certain to occur all over again.
From Al Jazeera:
The crash of September 2008 brought the largest bankruptcies in world history, pushing more than 30 million people into unemployment and bringing many countries to the edge of insolvency. Wall Street turned back the clock to 1929.
But how did it all go so wrong?
Lack of government regulation; easy lending in the US housing market meant anyone could qualify for a home loan with no government regulations in place.
Also, London was competing with New York as the banking capital of the world. Gordon Brown, the British finance minister at the time, introduced 'light touch regulation' - giving bankers a free hand in the marketplace.
All this, and with key players making the wrong financial decisions, saw the world's biggest financial collapse.
Part 1 of "Meltdown"
(24 votes)
»
- Login or register to post comments
- 45986 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
Similar Articles You Might Enjoy:
- Libyan Oil Fully Liberated On News Gaddafi Dead
- Arab Spring Makes An Autumn Return: Saudi Police Open Fire On Protesting Civilians
- Intel Cuts Q4 Revenue Guidance By $1 Billion On Hard Drive Supply
- Gadaffi's Supposedly Arrested Son, Very Much Free, Hobnobbing With Reporters At Tripoli's Rixos Hotel
- View From The Bridge: And They Think It’s All Over…
Wasn't that long ago that Al Jazeera was agitprop. Funny how things change.
Hopefully Meltdown is long blow and hookers.
Who plays Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and PAul Krugman?
Frank = Melissa Ethridge
Dodd = Whitey Bulger
Krugman = Ernest Borgnine
Fuck the haters, I'm with ya
The problem with this piece it is tries to wrap up very long and complicated story all neat and tidy. They want to make the ignorant general public think that everything has been uncovered, and here are ALL of the players and ALL of the plays that made the "world crash possible This is an evil, insidious deception. They should have called this "The Fall Guys Part 1".
Al Jezeera is running cover for the all of the other devils that are still yanking levers, filling their pockets, and passing it on to their spoiled brat progeny while the rest of the World burns.
Is every one that they point in this video guilty? Of course.
Are there A LOT more people that should be demonized and potentially prosecuted. Yes!!!!
Is Al Jezeera being groomed to be the "World Propaganda Ministry"? YES! Hello?!!!!!!
agree...the piece should be even tidier: PEAK OIL DID THIS
Because that is the cause. These men merely did the same shit as all before them. The exponential math made their efforts 2x the previous, etc. in turn.
The thing went to hell when growth stopped.
The self-delusions and mental contortions people will go through to avoid the truth simply blow my mind. Even on this board, there are 90% of the people who want to believe that if we could just prosecute some people or change the rules or go to a gold standard, somehow change the HUMAN equation, that everything could go back to happy joyjoy. Reality has its own agenda.
Some call it denial.
Depressions can be dealt with. Losing all your money can be dealt with. Even if your wife cuts off your penis in revenge, that can be dealt with.
But Peak Oil? That's a one-way ticket back to Neander Valley, Dude.
Trav you moron, PEAK OIL is a hoax, just like Al Gore's "global warming".
Now go wash your teeth 4 times a day and be a good slave.
I have to call bullshit on this one. This report is pointing all the fingers at the banking industry, and yes I do believe the bankers are a bunch of evil bastards but they had gotten their marching orders from the US federal government. This report fails to mention the "Making Home Affordable" act signed into law under President Clinton, and pressed hard into service under Bush, with the Financial Services Oversite Committe (ran by Barney Frank and crew) cracking the wip.
The federal government was pushing the banking industry to make these loans, the banking industry was more then happy to oblige with the promises from the FED and the Federal Government that they had their backs if anything went wrong. Why do you think the FED is so quick to try and help out the big banks with tax payer dollars? If this fiasco was really the result of the private banking industry being greedy, the government would be screaming for jail time for these people. But that is never mentioned, no...don't want that...if that were to happen the truth may come out......then we would be asking to place our own elected officials in prison...the real crooks...
Wow someone junked me? I guess there is a fool out there that thinks the Federal Government is a bunch of nice guys that are only interrested in helping out the little guy, and doing only what is best for the entire country. Like to meet you, I have a bunch of swamp land in Florida I want to sell you......Probably one of the idiots sitting out front of the NYSE protesting....
numnutt
the banks have always controlled the governments, not the other way around. the legal system is circumvented with top-notch attorneys. i don't get how someone could be so naive to think that elections and elected officials have that much power. the annual pay of entire congress (~$93 mil) is less than 1 month income for the top hedge fund managers. money rules law.
Wow Kub-dick, I don't even know where to begin with the stupidity you have stepped into. Where you been the last 3 years? You saying the federal government doesn't set interest rates? Fannie and Freddie MAC doesn't control the home industry? The feds don't set regulations for mortgages? Doesn't tell banks all their rules to do business?!?!?! I have worked in the banking industry for 16 years, and I can tell you there are all kinds of federal banking laws that they must abide by, from how much cash you can deposit or withdraw, to how to perform interstate electronic commerce. Banks employ rooms full of lawyers just to keep track of the federal regulations and make sure they are not breaking any federal laws. If the elected officials had been doing their job and enforcing existing laws, the country would not be in the current situation. I am pointing out the fact that to think these governments were caught by surprise by what has happened is stupid. They are currently in a CYA mode, they have seen what is coming and are now in the process of spreading bullshit in the hope it covers their ass so they don't end up against a wall some place. Wake up dip shit! If these guys control government why are they so scared of Ron Paul?
you are a FOOL and a TOOL - what about fraud end to end don't you understand?
the borrowers and the government had nothing to do with the bonuses and profits made by the banks and their minions as their motivation for fraud - CW (among many others) was cutting and pasting mortgage applications and documents by the 100's of thousands and sold by willing bankers who controlled the output of the rating agencies that is why BoA et al are getting sued for fraud far and wide and the AG's agreements with the banks are falling apart after schneiderman took his ball and went home
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/09/22/6687/countrywide-protected-fraudsters-silencing-whistleblowers-say-former-employees/page/0/1
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/13/AR2008021302783.html
you must be a troll for BoA - enough with your anal vocalization!!!
Ah Oman you fucking dip shit. Nothing would make me happier then to see BAC take a huge shit and go belly up. But to think these guys are running the show is complete stupidity, it would be like saying the multi million dollar athlete player is controlling the game he plays in, and the referees do nothing. The truth is the Feds lay down the rules, the Fed determines the base lending rate that banks can lend each other. The fed determines all the rules that the banking industry must abide by. Then when the bank makes a profit the feds take their cut.
I was pointing out the fact that the producer of this report failed to include a very important part of the over all picture. Actually if you watch this and believe 100% what they are telling you, it would appear that the various governments had nothing to do with our current problems. I call bullshit on that! TPTB set the rules, and were there every step of the way when all this shit was going down. To see them as a helpless victim that was caught off guard by the evil banksters is complete stupidity. From the top of the banking industry and to the high offices of government, all these assholes where to busy stuffing their pockets full of cash to pause for a minute and consider the consequences for their actions.
Don't be mistaken for one moment that these two groups of people don't talk to each other. They do on a regular basis and the topic is not how they are going screw each other, it is how they are all going to screw us. You call me a troll for these assholes, well all I can say is fuck you! I am a troll, but not a troll for the banking industry, I am a troll for the private sector tax payer that has been left standing out in the rain, and the cold, with an empty bag wondering where I went wrong.
Capt. Binghamton: Commander, how would you and your men like two weeks with nothing to do but play gin rummy, go surfing, have luaus with steel drum bands, dancing girls, hmm?
Lieut. Comdr. Quinton McHale: Two whole weeks? Woo hooo, oh that'd be a wonderful change sir. Yes sir.
Capt. Binghamton: Knock it off McHale. That's what you do every week.
Dodd = Bobcat Goldthwait(in a fatsuit)
This is just pure propaganda of the lowest kind. For those of you with any self-respect, here is some background reading on the benefits of monetary and fiscal stimulus written by renowned Princeton economist Alan Blinder and Mark Zandi of Moody's:
http://www.princeton.edu/~blinder/End-of-Great-Recession.pdf
The paper documents how our government and Federal Reserve SAVED this country from total destruction during the great depression. And please READ the article before resorting to the usual libertarian ad-hominem attacks.
princeton.edu = pablum of the highest order
Really stupid reporters comments on gold...
http://goldandsilverlinings.com/?p=1667
MillionDollarBonus is just trolling you guys. Or rather he's a regular who presents facts, or sometimes jokes, as if he's a troll. It's quite funny most of the time, except unless you're a regular or very careful reader, it would be hard to pick up, I guess :)
MillionDollarBonus=astroturfing from the Treasury Elf.
We know who he is, newbie.
Are you nuts? Paulson (Bush) gave almost a trillion in TARP to their banking buddies, and AIG. AIG got the first check, then the squid got the first check from AIG, for just under $20 billion to cover trading losses in London. Five months later, all the major banks returned most of the TARP funds when they learned that Timmy would dictate their salary and bonuses. These pricks should be drawn and quartered.
Sure, and you read FDR's Folly
Worthless bulls**t. Papering over problems and bailing out criminals only encourages more of the same behavior. If they had let it crash it would have been more painful short term but we'd be in recovery by now. I listened to this crap from Ivy league morons for too many years on Wall street. Return to sound money (gold and silver) and give the middle and lower income folkes a shot again.
Well that is one opinion. You could make a case that the crash would have been steep and short. You could also make the case that the entire financial system would have colappsed, with runs on banks (in 2008 there were already runs on money-market accounts.... how quickly everyone forgets how close to total destruction we were), massive wealth destroyed, savings of a nation eliminated, dollar destroyed, etc. etc. There is a much better case to be made that this outcome is preferable. I'm not happy about it either, but having lived in countries with real economic collapses (such as Argentina) and witnessed that first hand, let me tell you there are no guarantees that the collapse will be short and sweet....
I love how of course you went directly to adhominem attacks. So if a Nobel-prize in economics, ivy league phd, authoring textbooks on macroeconomics, if none if this qualifies as expertise, then who are the experts in your opinion? Would love to hear this. Some day-trading morons whole trolls this board? Alan Binder is a reputable economics of the highest degree. Have you read any of his work? Dear arm-chair economicts: shut the fuck up.... Your opnion has no value.
I've got news for you: The "entire financial system" is collapsing anyway.
Only, this way it costs far more and taxpayers pick up the entire tab while the bankster crooks walk with huge payouts for massive felony fraud.
Twit.
"HOW THE GREAT RECESSION WAS BROUGHT TO AN END" I will now write an essay called "How I fucked ten supermodels at the same time." That will be more enjoyable and worthwhile reading, and just as believable.
You are right that the Fed's actions in 2008 prevented total destruction in this country from occurring in that year. Nobody can prove, however, that total destruction was prevented entirely. And, in my opinion and as has often been stated on this site, the Fed's policies merely put off the damage and made the problem worse for the people who do eventually have to deal with it.
As a guy in my mid-20's I don't appreciate that one bit!
Tarp did not solve the banking crisis. It was too small. It was the repeal of the mark to market rule that swept the problem under the rug where nobody would trip over it.
Don't forget the Fed "injections" (lol, is that like a protein injection?) that dwarfed the TARP. Without any permission needed, from ANYBODY.
They didn't save anything. They insured its demise. And that's why mark to market had to go. All banks are insolvent, walking dead.
I wrote that all Canadian banks are insolvent years ago on the comments section of the Globe and Mail. I was thumbed down. Only teh other world banks are insolvent according to canadians. We are special. Must be all that gold we have in reserve someplace.
economists? you mean those who can't get a real nobels prize? moodys? haha fail
great recession brought to an end? ok sure you just wait...
haha! yes! attack those with signifiant more expertise in this subject area that you? You might as well say "medical doctors, you mean people that couldn't get a real doctorate?" You mock something that is way beyond your comprehension. Talk to me after you've done post-doc level work in statisitics and mathematics, alright?
PS - I'm not an economist, just tired of idiots with zero expertise, zero knoweldge, zero education, trashing those who do.
breathe a little nhr215.
insult my intelligence if you must, but please explain to me how the great recession had ended? and what are we going to do with the mounting public debt?
who's really trashing the economists? i argue it's economists from princeton and moody's who have brought shame on their profession, their actions speak much louder than words. I believe it's these princeton and moody economists who have zero expertise, zero knowledge, decades of education and bookreading up in their ivory tower, they don't know what's goes on in main st., they don't understand current social issues, instead they get in cahoots with banksters defrauding public funds;
As far as MDB's argument is concerned, i think it's a pretty accurate description when kayman said it's analogous to thanking the arsonist for calling the fireman after the fact.
ps. I don't mind if you wish to defend MDB's comments, but I'm entitled to an opinion please respect that.
Ah yes... the dismal science.
Why are we not allowed to say to someone with a PhD, 'postdoc experience in maths and statistics' and even a Nobel memorial prize (not a proper Nobel prize): 'You are talking horse shit.'
Just because someone has advanced qualifications does not immunize them from talking crap. They can just do so far more eloquently, which makes them potentially more dangerous. And the more people believe that having a PhD means you breath different air, the more vulnerable they are.
And that, I am afraid, is coming from someone who does have 'postdoc experience in maths and statistics'.
www.trololololololololololo.com
I read it and it is full of misrepresentations and bias.
What else could be expected from the authors? They won't say anthing to jeapordize their jobs.
And the Bernak is a Princeton ex Professor - duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
And what does that have to do with anything? Are you insinuating that the entire analysis was done fraudlently purely with the intent of covering the behind of a former professor in their school????? Clearly you have had zero experience in academia..... That would be great way to end a career. Alan Blinder is an economist with an stellar repuation in the field and much respect.
The purpose of a system is what it does.
Academcians only work to justify their own parasitic existence.
MDB, all the graphs and charts had the following.
Sources: Federal Reserve, Treasury, FDIC, FHA, Moody’s Analytics
The table for FDIC losses ($75 Billion) appears light.
I will get Karl D to look into it.
you are stupid troll
At least now we know the purpose of RIck Perry's presidential campaign: anti-inflationary propaganda. Strong dollar policy, bitches!
"Ben Bernanke no longer would be the Federal Reserve chairman and the central bank would be out of the money-printing business under a Rick-Perry-run White House, the Texas governor told CNBC."
Parry is just striking a pose. The field of candidates is crowded and he is looking to stand out. He is a poseur.
MillionDollarBonus_
MBD- you make Goebbels blush.
Your argument is akin to thanking the arsonist for calling the fire department after the house has burned to the ground.
P.S. Are you back Leo ?
*.Wanger is that you? We miss you!
this must be on your bookshelf right next to Mein Kampf
ROFL
MillionDollarBonus_: Pound sand up your ass.
Poe's Law is alive and well.
There you are, again, $millionbonus, taking a break from the Comedy Channel. Welcome back. Your humor is always appreciated.
Saved the country during the great depression?????
you must be outta your god damn mind son
The Federal Reserve caused the great depression in large part by contracting the money supply. Per your request, I have refrained from calling you a dumb-ass. Oops, oh well.
The Federal Reserve caused the great depression in large part by contracting the money supply. Per your request, I have refrained from calling you a dumb-ass. Oops, oh well.
The Federal Reserve caused the great depression in large part by contracting the money supply. Boom and bust cycles are largely created by expanding and then contracting the money supply. It is during the bust periods that wealth is more quickly transferred into the hands of the elite.
Per your request, I have refrained from calling you a dumb-ass. Oops, oh well.
Kind of funny that the Federal Reserve saved the country from total destruction during the Great Depression, and then apologizes for starting it.. LOL
ad-hominem attacks? Who needs those?
we wont know if they have saved the world until this mess is all over ; and there is NO sign whatsoever that it is over.
Its getting worse if you ask me.......
Nice paper though. I particularly liked the font.
I love it! The ARRA dufuses spent $4 million on signs to publicize the capital outlay. That's how the government rolls, why waste a little when you can waste alot?
By the by, Gov't and FR "saved" the country from the mess they created. Everyone knows the politicians and FR are controlled by the banking elite who hold the purse strings.
.
Like nearly all media outlets, it still is. That they use the truth, doesn't change their intent, but merely the direction of their perception.
Its pretty sad, that the economy is a mess. Then we make movies about how "some people" crashed this world, like its some joke.
The ones that created the problem will never be responsible, they will just blame it on the lower guy.
http://www.dailyjobcuts.com
/
Maxine Waters killed it for me and I had to quit watching. If you have a strong stomach, watch the above video starting at 6:20. Then watch this one starting at 5:04.
http://youtu.be/_MGT_cSi7Rs
Maxine Waters is living proof that People elect the Govt THEY deserve!
Its all coming full circle. The meltdown is just truly beginning, Eric Sprott was just recently talking about how the worst is yet to come. Good to see some good quality shows showing the truth for a change.
http://ericsprott.blogspot.com/
Nice, but this actually from CBC, was first broadcast last year i believe:
http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/meltdown/about.html
still have it on pvr from last year, CBC aired this well before SmellY'smeera. a real WTF is going on down there moment. a must see
Yep. Here are the other parts
2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqBlVBhv0ag&feature=related
3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBhAvUTW5ZE&feature=related
4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZwMIIJLWOw&feature=related
Overall a very pro interventionist approach.
Please, not too loud. The first one who speaks the truth gets suicided in the Jacuzzi. The second one gets a smart bomb up his as..................
guess you were the second one. that had to hurt.
No, I was the first.
Signed,
The Ghost of Cognitive Dissonance
:>)
I'm so depressed that I am unjustly criticizing the Fed all the time that I have decided to tie my hands behind my back, shoot myself in the back of the head four times, write a suicide note, and then drag my body to a remote location.
No mention of Al Gore in that documentary.
What did Al Gore have to do with it? Was he involved in Glass-Steagall repeal or something? I honestly don't know and am curious why you bring him up.
Cuz Gore invented the intermanet. Member??
NAFTA is a good deal, Larry. It will increase our standard of living and create tons of jobs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhwhMXOxHTg
Hmm, lots of junks and I was merely asking a question. If dude had said "Clinton wasn't mentioned" that would be one thing. Al was hardly the power behind the throne in the Clinton admin that was Rubin. So again what did Gore have to do with anything? As far as I can tell he hasn't done much of anything other than try and push the cap and trade scam which has thus far been stymied. So please illuminate how again is Gore responsible? I don't like the guy, but it doesn't seem like he had much pull in that admin compared to Greenspan, Rubin, Clinton et al.
he was cheated out of being president by Bushie who did crash the world
LOL, what about CLinton behind him? NAFTA GATT shipping all our jobs and production overseas....ITS ALL THE SAME CLUB!
That's a pretty narrow view of a 100 year struggle to enslave you. Eisenhower warned about the industrial military complex, was he wrong? Discretionary spending took off under Reagan, and the trend line didn't change under Clinton either. All the increased revenue from opening our borders to trade were squandered. I don't want to argue whether Obama outspent Bush (he has) or not, he merely continued the trend towards the destruction of the country.
How many times do you have to have the football pulled away? Our real problems are bipartisan issues and those issues have not been resolved because of one little reason:
The banksters have their minions on both sides of every issue, so no matter who wins the battle, they alway win the war.
Right, the founding progressive fathers are dead and in hell, but the struggle goes on.
I don't want to argue whether Obama outspent Bush (he has) or not, he merely continued the trend towards the destruction of the country.
Do you mean over Bush's 8 yrs or BHO's 2.75 yrs?
The budgets (CRs) are much higher than ever under Bush. Remember, appropriations are expenditures, and BHO has used the stimulus dollars to continue the spending, they never went back to the lower levels. Remember in the Fed Gov, you spend all you get and never return any funds and you always ask for more.
It's a straight line increase if you use a logarithmic scale. Compound disinterest.
"London was competing with New York as the banking capital of the world. Gordon Brown, the British finance minister at the time, introduced 'light touch regulation' - giving bankers a free hand in the marketplace"
Interestingly refreshing perspective, never heard it this way. A "Regulation War"? lol
This wont please for sure all the US citizens who are in the cheap propaganda streak: Crown world order.
It is a US world order. Causes of current state of the world are to be found in the US for the many of the state features.
Not new at all. That's the argument banks always use to get what they want. We need this or that regulation removed so we can remain competitive. When they remove the regs, everything blows up. This is not an American thing. It was noted in This Time It's Different, a review of 800 years of financial mismanagement.
How about, "We need this or that regulation put in place to solidify our monopoly."
Let's just start with legal tender laws and central economic planning by the money-printers and go from there.
Are you joking, Ghordius? This is ancient news unless you are referring to the naming - which I have yet to check since I have not watched the video yet. It's even covered in "Inside Job" which is very very finance-lite fare and mostly covers the people angle. This is sometimes known as regulatory arbitrage and it dates back to at least the 17th century to the tax and political haven of Switzerland.
All the financial centers in modern age are continually fighting to deregulate, thus encouraging capital their way, as well as minimising and slowing the take up of new regulation. This is especially the case in non-diversified economies like the UK which have systematically greatly undermined or elimininated many sectors of their former empire economy in favor of financial services and services in general.
There is a certain irony involved when Al Jazeera runs a story about the actions of a few US men that created a crash that had such a dramatic and resonating impact on the entire world.
Yes, so now we have an international televised propaganda competition between Al Jazeera and our corporate media.
Hard to know which is least trustworthy.
"Question Authority."
Don't trust anyone over 30...oh, wait.
Peter Schiff: Ruined economy, artificial dependency
Uploaded by RussiaToday on Sep 28, 2011
RT talks to Peter Schiff, president at Euro Pacific Capital about the state of economy in US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzjnc7lXcC8