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No Anger Without Alternatives

by Jim Wallis 03-17-2009 | 7:00pm
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On Sunday I joined the Dean of the National Cathedral, Samuel T. Lloyd III, for a forum on the intersection of faith and politics in the midst of the economic crisis that you can watch on their Web site. Among other things, we discussed how the nation should respond to this crisis and, on a deeper level, what are the ways that we as Christians are called to lead.

I also preached later that morning at the Sunday service, and the sermon is also available on the Cathedral Web site. In my sermon, I referred to an event last Thursday night -- you might have missed it -- but there was a happening and a shift that I hope we all will soon feel. Some likened it to the storming of the Bastille, crates of tea thrown into Boston harbor, a populist uprising. Some spoke of King Lear's dark fool who spoke truth to power when all others were mute, others likened it a prophet in the wilderness, and others finally breathed a sigh of relief as they heard plainly spoken

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by: nuclearferret

03-17-2009 @ 8:37pm

Paraphrasing Sen. Grassley, the alternative value seems to be that AIG official should commit suicide. Of course, no such suggestion for the elected and their hired guns in the bureaucracy, so shame for this seems to go one way.

by: jonabark

03-18-2009 @ 2:49pm

Not everyone in AIG was part of the purchase of credit default swaps. Many probably managed other insurance business well and on the plus side. Does that entitle them to bonuses? Do auto workers get bonuses for increased productivity when the company as a whole is failing? Do the representatives of the US government insist on the protection of the autoworkers? Absolutely not. We insist when companies fail that the economic costs of enabling them to survive be equally distributed among the employees.

AIG is a single entity and bears responsibility for the default swap debacle. The Congress bears responsibility for bailing them out without taking measures to insure oversight and limits.

I , with a large majority opposed the bailouts. The parties don't give a rip what the people want. Thy do not represent the people. Obama is as tied up with corporate interests as Bush. The taxpaying public should have ownership and control over the institutions we bail out. The financial realities should be made transparent.

I think the premise that saving the financial sector will make the economy better is ridiculous. These are the people that shifted our economy out of manufacturing and into banking/investing/service and that gambled away trillions of hard earned dollars . They have drained the work based economy and why enable them to continue?

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 7:14pm

So we can't be angry at Obama's administration when they could have stopped this from happening two weeks ago? This administration has proved awful at vetting Department heads and awful at "vetting" companies that we loan billions too.

by: smfergus

03-18-2009 @ 8:35pm

As I understand the situation with AIG, the bonus payouts were fixed in the executives' contracts long before the change in administration, and were either known or approved by the Federal Reserve, & subsequently by the Bush administration, last fall. I'm not aware of what the Obama administration could have done legally 2 weeks ago to change this situation - perhaps you could clarify?
Insisting that the terms of the executives' contracts be changed retroactively isn't a legal option as far as I'm aware, but maybe there is another remedy that you have in mind.

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 9:04pm

So these contracts were known and approved by the Federal Reserve... now the current head of the Dept. of Treasury.... but the admin didn't know about them? I simply believe that the government has been throwing money around without going through a proper "vetting" process. Why didn't we ask questions about contacts when we gave them another 30 Billion. I guess my main point is that the administration shouldn't have been surprised by these bonuses.
As I examine my previous statement, the administration may not have been able to stop it. I'm simply ticked that these bonuses came as a surprise.

by: letjusticerolldown

03-18-2009 @ 9:53pm

The head of AIG, Barney Frank, Tim Gietner, whoever--could have sat down anytime the last week--layed the issue of bonuses out on the table--come to an understanding--put it before Obama- who in turn could have taken five minutes to give an extended answer to the public defining exactly the dynamic of the issue and how it would be addressed with full apology if there were mistakes.

Conflicts and arguments can be resolved. I sometimes think Washington would be better off if they all would spend 7 hours a day in prayer or walking in the woods and then come together and make a few decisions. Then they should go home and have a picnic with their neighbors.

Here's a Christian Alternative: The Sabbath
It does wonders. It all belongs to God. We need to live in his rest.
I'll start. No more Sunday Talk shows at my house.

by: judithod

03-24-2009 @ 1:40am

Interesting that Jim Wallis admires the "comedian/prophet" Stewart who has an income of about $14 million per year, which is a bit more than Isaiah and Amos were paid for their prophetic duties!

by: nuclearferret

03-17-2009 @ 8:37pm

Paraphrasing Sen. Grassley, the alternative value seems to be that AIG official should commit suicide. Of course, no such suggestion for the elected and their hired guns in the bureaucracy, so shame for this seems to go one way.

by: jonabark

03-19-2009 @ 4:06pm

All this is just the tip of current AIG funny business. They are now a shell for channeling money to banks /investment firms. Goldman Sachs is acting like the US treasury is its own private rainy day fund.

Obama has followed the direction of Summers and Geithner and they are protecting banks who are hip deep in toxic paper crap. Time to fire these jerks and put them on trial. Time to get honest people in charge, take over the failing banks, freeze foreclosures, and clean house. And don't turn the economy back over to the super rich this time.

by: jonabark

03-18-2009 @ 2:49pm

Not everyone in AIG was part of the purchase of credit default swaps. Many probably managed other insurance business well and on the plus side. Does that entitle them to bonuses? Do auto workers get bonuses for increased productivity when the company as a whole is failing? Do the representatives of the US government insist on the protection of the autoworkers? Absolutely not. We insist when companies fail that the economic costs of enabling them to survive be equally distributed among the employees.

AIG is a single entity and bears responsibility for the default swap debacle. The Congress bears responsibility for bailing them out without taking measures to insure oversight and limits.

I , with a large majority opposed the bailouts. The parties don't give a rip what the people want. Thy do not represent the people. Obama is as tied up with corporate interests as Bush. The taxpaying public should have ownership and control over the institutions we bail out. The financial realities should be made transparent.

I think the premise that saving the financial sector will make the economy better is ridiculous. These are the people that shifted our economy out of manufacturing and into banking/investing/service and that gambled away trillions of hard earned dollars . They have drained the work based economy and why enable them to continue?

by: judithod

03-24-2009 @ 1:40am

Interesting that Jim Wallis admires the "comedian/prophet" Stewart who has an income of about $14 million per year, which is a bit more than Isaiah and Amos were paid for their prophetic duties!

by: Eric77

03-19-2009 @ 7:56pm

Perhaps AIG took their lead from Congress. Congress is failing all the time with taxpayer dollars and they still get their raises. The salaries of Congress and political appointees in the executive branch should decrease every year until they get us out of deficit spending.

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 7:14pm

So we can't be angry at Obama's administration when they could have stopped this from happening two weeks ago? This administration has proved awful at vetting Department heads and awful at "vetting" companies that we loan billions too.

by: smfergus

03-18-2009 @ 8:35pm

As I understand the situation with AIG, the bonus payouts were fixed in the executives' contracts long before the change in administration, and were either known or approved by the Federal Reserve, & subsequently by the Bush administration, last fall. I'm not aware of what the Obama administration could have done legally 2 weeks ago to change this situation - perhaps you could clarify?
Insisting that the terms of the executives' contracts be changed retroactively isn't a legal option as far as I'm aware, but maybe there is another remedy that you have in mind.

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 9:04pm

So these contracts were known and approved by the Federal Reserve... now the current head of the Dept. of Treasury.... but the admin didn't know about them? I simply believe that the government has been throwing money around without going through a proper "vetting" process. Why didn't we ask questions about contacts when we gave them another 30 Billion. I guess my main point is that the administration shouldn't have been surprised by these bonuses.
As I examine my previous statement, the administration may not have been able to stop it. I'm simply ticked that these bonuses came as a surprise.

by: letjusticerolldown

03-18-2009 @ 9:53pm

The head of AIG, Barney Frank, Tim Gietner, whoever--could have sat down anytime the last week--layed the issue of bonuses out on the table--come to an understanding--put it before Obama- who in turn could have taken five minutes to give an extended answer to the public defining exactly the dynamic of the issue and how it would be addressed with full apology if there were mistakes.

Conflicts and arguments can be resolved. I sometimes think Washington would be better off if they all would spend 7 hours a day in prayer or walking in the woods and then come together and make a few decisions. Then they should go home and have a picnic with their neighbors.

Here's a Christian Alternative: The Sabbath
It does wonders. It all belongs to God. We need to live in his rest.
I'll start. No more Sunday Talk shows at my house.

by: jonabark

03-19-2009 @ 4:06pm

All this is just the tip of current AIG funny business. They are now a shell for channeling money to banks /investment firms. Goldman Sachs is acting like the US treasury is its own private rainy day fund.

Obama has followed the direction of Summers and Geithner and they are protecting banks who are hip deep in toxic paper crap. Time to fire these jerks and put them on trial. Time to get honest people in charge, take over the failing banks, freeze foreclosures, and clean house. And don't turn the economy back over to the super rich this time.

by: Eric77

03-19-2009 @ 7:56pm

Perhaps AIG took their lead from Congress. Congress is failing all the time with taxpayer dollars and they still get their raises. The salaries of Congress and political appointees in the executive branch should decrease every year until they get us out of deficit spending.

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by: nuclearferret

03-17-2009 @ 8:37pm

Paraphrasing Sen. Grassley, the alternative value seems to be that AIG official should commit suicide. Of course, no such suggestion for the elected and their hired guns in the bureaucracy, so shame for this seems to go one way.

by: nuclearferret

03-17-2009 @ 8:37pm

Paraphrasing Sen. Grassley, the alternative value seems to be that AIG official should commit suicide. Of course, no such suggestion for the elected and their hired guns in the bureaucracy, so shame for this seems to go one way.

by: jonabark

03-18-2009 @ 2:49pm

Not everyone in AIG was part of the purchase of credit default swaps. Many probably managed other insurance business well and on the plus side. Does that entitle them to bonuses? Do auto workers get bonuses for increased productivity when the company as a whole is failing? Do the representatives of the US government insist on the protection of the autoworkers? Absolutely not. We insist when companies fail that the economic costs of enabling them to survive be equally distributed among the employees.

AIG is a single entity and bears responsibility for the default swap debacle. The Congress bears responsibility for bailing them out without taking measures to insure oversight and limits.

I , with a large majority opposed the bailouts. The parties don't give a rip what the people want. Thy do not represent the people. Obama is as tied up with corporate interests as Bush. The taxpaying public should have ownership and control over the institutions we bail out. The financial realities should be made transparent.

I think the premise that saving the financial sector will make the economy better is ridiculous. These are the people that shifted our economy out of manufacturing and into banking/investing/service and that gambled away trillions of hard earned dollars . They have drained the work based economy and why enable them to continue?

by: jonabark

03-18-2009 @ 2:49pm

Not everyone in AIG was part of the purchase of credit default swaps. Many probably managed other insurance business well and on the plus side. Does that entitle them to bonuses? Do auto workers get bonuses for increased productivity when the company as a whole is failing? Do the representatives of the US government insist on the protection of the autoworkers? Absolutely not. We insist when companies fail that the economic costs of enabling them to survive be equally distributed among the employees.

AIG is a single entity and bears responsibility for the default swap debacle. The Congress bears responsibility for bailing them out without taking measures to insure oversight and limits.

I , with a large majority opposed the bailouts. The parties don't give a rip what the people want. Thy do not represent the people. Obama is as tied up with corporate interests as Bush. The taxpaying public should have ownership and control over the institutions we bail out. The financial realities should be made transparent.

I think the premise that saving the financial sector will make the economy better is ridiculous. These are the people that shifted our economy out of manufacturing and into banking/investing/service and that gambled away trillions of hard earned dollars . They have drained the work based economy and why enable them to continue?

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 7:14pm

So we can't be angry at Obama's administration when they could have stopped this from happening two weeks ago? This administration has proved awful at vetting Department heads and awful at "vetting" companies that we loan billions too.

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 7:14pm

So we can't be angry at Obama's administration when they could have stopped this from happening two weeks ago? This administration has proved awful at vetting Department heads and awful at "vetting" companies that we loan billions too.

by: smfergus

03-18-2009 @ 8:35pm

As I understand the situation with AIG, the bonus payouts were fixed in the executives' contracts long before the change in administration, and were either known or approved by the Federal Reserve, & subsequently by the Bush administration, last fall. I'm not aware of what the Obama administration could have done legally 2 weeks ago to change this situation - perhaps you could clarify?
Insisting that the terms of the executives' contracts be changed retroactively isn't a legal option as far as I'm aware, but maybe there is another remedy that you have in mind.

by: smfergus

03-18-2009 @ 8:35pm

As I understand the situation with AIG, the bonus payouts were fixed in the executives' contracts long before the change in administration, and were either known or approved by the Federal Reserve, & subsequently by the Bush administration, last fall. I'm not aware of what the Obama administration could have done legally 2 weeks ago to change this situation - perhaps you could clarify?
Insisting that the terms of the executives' contracts be changed retroactively isn't a legal option as far as I'm aware, but maybe there is another remedy that you have in mind.

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 9:04pm

So these contracts were known and approved by the Federal Reserve... now the current head of the Dept. of Treasury.... but the admin didn't know about them? I simply believe that the government has been throwing money around without going through a proper "vetting" process. Why didn't we ask questions about contacts when we gave them another 30 Billion. I guess my main point is that the administration shouldn't have been surprised by these bonuses.
As I examine my previous statement, the administration may not have been able to stop it. I'm simply ticked that these bonuses came as a surprise.

by: PDBurns

03-18-2009 @ 9:04pm

So these contracts were known and approved by the Federal Reserve... now the current head of the Dept. of Treasury.... but the admin didn't know about them? I simply believe that the government has been throwing money around without going through a proper "vetting" process. Why didn't we ask questions about contacts when we gave them another 30 Billion. I guess my main point is that the administration shouldn't have been surprised by these bonuses.
As I examine my previous statement, the administration may not have been able to stop it. I'm simply ticked that these bonuses came as a surprise.

by: letjusticerolldown

03-18-2009 @ 9:53pm

The head of AIG, Barney Frank, Tim Gietner, whoever--could have sat down anytime the last week--layed the issue of bonuses out on the table--come to an understanding--put it before Obama- who in turn could have taken five minutes to give an extended answer to the public defining exactly the dynamic of the issue and how it would be addressed with full apology if there were mistakes.

Conflicts and arguments can be resolved. I sometimes think Washington would be better off if they all would spend 7 hours a day in prayer or walking in the woods and then come together and make a few decisions. Then they should go home and have a picnic with their neighbors.

Here's a Christian Alternative: The Sabbath
It does wonders. It all belongs to God. We need to live in his rest.
I'll start. No more Sunday Talk shows at my house.

by: letjusticerolldown

03-18-2009 @ 9:53pm

The head of AIG, Barney Frank, Tim Gietner, whoever--could have sat down anytime the last week--layed the issue of bonuses out on the table--come to an understanding--put it before Obama- who in turn could have taken five minutes to give an extended answer to the public defining exactly the dynamic of the issue and how it would be addressed with full apology if there were mistakes.

Conflicts and arguments can be resolved. I sometimes think Washington would be better off if they all would spend 7 hours a day in prayer or walking in the woods and then come together and make a few decisions. Then they should go home and have a picnic with their neighbors.

Here's a Christian Alternative: The Sabbath
It does wonders. It all belongs to God. We need to live in his rest.
I'll start. No more Sunday Talk shows at my house.

by: jonabark

03-19-2009 @ 4:06pm

All this is just the tip of current AIG funny business. They are now a shell for channeling money to banks /investment firms. Goldman Sachs is acting like the US treasury is its own private rainy day fund.

Obama has followed the direction of Summers and Geithner and they are protecting banks who are hip deep in toxic paper crap. Time to fire these jerks and put them on trial. Time to get honest people in charge, take over the failing banks, freeze foreclosures, and clean house. And don't turn the economy back over to the super rich this time.

by: jonabark

03-19-2009 @ 4:06pm

All this is just the tip of current AIG funny business. They are now a shell for channeling money to banks /investment firms. Goldman Sachs is acting like the US treasury is its own private rainy day fund.

Obama has followed the direction of Summers and Geithner and they are protecting banks who are hip deep in toxic paper crap. Time to fire these jerks and put them on trial. Time to get honest people in charge, take over the failing banks, freeze foreclosures, and clean house. And don't turn the economy back over to the super rich this time.

by: Eric77

03-19-2009 @ 7:56pm

Perhaps AIG took their lead from Congress. Congress is failing all the time with taxpayer dollars and they still get their raises. The salaries of Congress and political appointees in the executive branch should decrease every year until they get us out of deficit spending.

by: Eric77

03-19-2009 @ 7:56pm

Perhaps AIG took their lead from Congress. Congress is failing all the time with taxpayer dollars and they still get their raises. The salaries of Congress and political appointees in the executive branch should decrease every year until they get us out of deficit spending.

by: judithod

03-24-2009 @ 1:40am

Interesting that Jim Wallis admires the "comedian/prophet" Stewart who has an income of about $14 million per year, which is a bit more than Isaiah and Amos were paid for their prophetic duties!

by: judithod

03-24-2009 @ 1:40am

Interesting that Jim Wallis admires the "comedian/prophet" Stewart who has an income of about $14 million per year, which is a bit more than Isaiah and Amos were paid for their prophetic duties!