We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Top Justice officials connected to mortgage banks

Click here to access article from Reuters. 

This piece illustrates how the US Justice Department, like all other government agencies, is wedded to the financial interests (including other corporate entities) of the One Percent. People connected to high finance are the core component of the ruling One Percent. These people make our laws through their employees called "Congressional representatives", and these laws are enforced by the Justice Department and other such agencies against transgressors in the 99 Percent, not the One Percent. All ruling classes function this way. Get use to it, or change the system.
Reuters reported in December that under Holder and Breuer, the Justice Department hasn't brought any criminal cases against big banks or other companies involved in mortgage servicing, even though copious evidence has surfaced of apparent criminal violations in foreclosure cases.

The evidence, including records from federal and state courts and local clerks' offices around the country, shows widespread forgery, perjury, obstruction of justice, and illegal foreclosures on the homes of thousands of active-duty military personnel.
 I know what some of you are thinking. Didn't the enforcing agencies go after Bernie Madoff and Michael Milken and put them in prison? Yes, there are some who are convicted of their crimes, but it is usually people who have caused others among the One Percent some harm. Often such people serve only a small part of their sentence.