26 Comments

Great stuff. Terrific compilation, if infuriating. Underscores your premise that the failure to reckon with the banksters (and the WMD lies, I’d add) brought us Trump, while also bolstering the popularity of Bernie. In my estimation, the burn-it-all-down impulse remains strong within the electorate, maybe strong enough to catapult Trump back into office. Pity that RFK is such a flawed candidate. If ever an independent or third party could get traction, 2024 is the year. Oh well, wait until ‘28.

Expand full comment

All good points. I'm used to being very disappointed - but not distraught.

Expand full comment

Yes, wait. Because that's been working well since 1788. lmmfao

Expand full comment

"We estimate that they can handle ten million foreclosures, over time,” referring to the banks. “This program will help foam the runway for them.”

The scale of the lies is unbelievably infuriating as someone who had to try and save a company by attempting to manage the mess they created. And the borrowers were hurt the worst. This one made me very angry today, but I will be reading Barofsky's book. The anger gives me energy.

Expand full comment

"And you almost have to, at least include in your calculus the possibility that somebody’s lying to you all the time." Good advice re: the government (and the banks, and big pharma, and the military industrial complex, and...) right here.

Expand full comment

Herr Havenstein, big fan of yours from back in the day before the Fact Cheka banned wit and sarcasm on Twitter.

I presume you must by now be familiar with David Webb's (ex Shaker Investments & Verus IM) theory on the soon-to-be biggest bank heist in history (the central bankers taking it all - and I mean ALL collateral). He calls it "The Great Taking". As it is right up your alley and I've not seen you do a post on it I thought I ought to share as David's presentation, in case this rather big news has not yet made it your way:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dk3AVceraTI or if the Don't Be Evil thought police have scrubbed it:

https://rumble.com/v3yptkd-the-great-taking-documentary.html

'Boring but Important' doesn't quite cover it. My best regards.

Expand full comment

I'm familiar with him but I don't see why they would do this, since they have a printing press. I'll check out your links.

Expand full comment

It is ultimately not about money but retaining (& consolidating) control through the inevitable collapse. The scale & sheer audacity of the scheme is hard to wrap your head around, but David is both very smart & genuine IMO. Anyhow, be interested in your thoughts in due course.

Expand full comment

We are deeply into the looting phase of empire collapse. In 2008 they at least pretended to put some lipstick on it to sell the looting to the public. In 2020 they barely even cared what anyone thought. Tells you all you need to know.

Great article though.

Expand full comment

I know many people I have read a lot of this if you’re older, because of everything that went down, but when one seed it again with today’s perspective of where we’ve gone since then literally taking us into World War III by the criminal mafia...committing war crimes; biowarfare crimes human rights abuse crimes etc just to ent rape countries into war to steal their real stuff as well as all the other monetary crimes to rob countries etc

Expand full comment

It also doesn’t cover all of the crimes that were committed HUD was involved Henry Cisneros, who was working at HUD opened up a bank to do predatory loans just to kill the bank just to go back and be the head of HUD... Henry, I’ve been one of Hillary‘s favorite since I was a young girl as she’d come to San Antonio to get him elected because she does love for, her criminal minorities doesn’t she? She is such a racist little stereotyper isn’t she... when she finally gets in enough trouble to have to Drop the Mic, she always passes it to a minority specially when she’s up shit creek

Expand full comment

It is painful recalling this but necessary to understand how we got here. The size and scope of this is historic. The revocation of Glass Steagall allowed the foxes into the henhouse. We apparently never learn

Expand full comment

It's not at all clear that anyone was watching the henhouse before Glass Steagall was ended. What is clear is the evil men and women who conceived and implemented the bail out of LTCM were not dragged from their homes and hung from lampposts. They were not tortured to give up all their assets to compensate the victims of their crimes. No one since 1913 involved in defrauding the American people has been punished. The 1792 mint act makes it a death penalty offence to debase the money. But no one ever enforces these laws.

It's timidity. Your ancestors had courage and compassion. Y'all don't.

Expand full comment

The National Bank Examiners were watching the henhouse until 1989 when they failed Bank of New England and were on they way to fail Citibank, when they were shackled by Congress in a joint effort, Teddy Kennedy in the lad. They have never recovered; it's more like a partnership, where fines are a cost of doing business for banks, and a profit center for regulators

And regulation of the foxes Wall Street. always modest at best, has disappeared. The repeal of Glass Steagall allowed the hands-off regulatory approach to apply to both

Expand full comment

I myself don't trust the regulators of days of yore any more than the ones of today. I remember the savings and loan regulators of the 1980s doing nothing meaningful. Yes, blame it on the Keating 5 if you want. But you are willing to believe that the government is competent to licence fractional reserve fraud and regulate its excesses. I am not.

The government has always been based on the evil usurpation of powers that can't be the powers of individuals. They lie, cheat, steal, rape, defraud, and murder. So they are not fit for any useful purpose.

Expand full comment

3,000 criminal referrals though and a number went to jail

Expand full comment

And the savings and loans are all gone, consolidated into the banks. It's going to be a sad day when the banker filth come after the credit unions to destroy the last meaningful alternative to the corrupt and evil banks. I do wonder how much they will pay the regurgitations in congress for that set of outrages. I'm not really satisfied with the system. But please don't let me discourage you from getting another 3,000 criminal prosecutions. Let the Dimon rot in prison forever. I simply doubt there is any interest in limiting the fraud. Collusion is a source of bitterness to me.

Expand full comment

Fair points. Though banks feared the Regulators until they were gutted in 1990. They went after Senior Management and even Board Members when they failed Bank of New England, and they wiped out the S&Ls in Texas, so there was at least accountability, now gone missing.

That being said, much of what they did was "shoot the wounded", after the damage was done. That sent a message to surviving banks, which has devolved to: "do what you need to, we'll pay the fine"

Expand full comment

I always like Moyers’ down-home interview style where he feigns shock at the level of corruption in DC. For God’s sake he was LBJ’s cover man.

Expand full comment

I endorse what I quote :)

Expand full comment

If you liked that interview, check out Bill Moyers other great interview with Mike Lofgren. Excellent!

Expand full comment

Thanks for such a comprehensive reminder - compared to all the fraud going on today - the lies which not only cheat one out of their savings but also their lives, one nearly gets nostalgic for the good ole days!

Expand full comment

Another great read. When the term “liar loans” became commonplace and you saw evidence of the profitability of mortgage backed securities (opulent banksters, mortgage originators), you knew we had a problem. Sounds like any honest regulator was squashed by superiors that had been paid. Disgusting!

Expand full comment

Been meaning to read that book (Black's) since forever.

Expand full comment

I have it and read it years ago, and don't remember being that impressed by it. I probably could revisit it but so many other shiny objects are distracting me.

Expand full comment

good to know. I'll watch the Moyers interviews, they're probably more fun anyway. Barofsky's was a good read.

Don't you think it's weird Akerlof also wrote a good article on "the market for lemons", and wrote Phishing for Phools? he's no slouch eh? I don't want to speculate but maybe he doesn't follow everything Ms Akerlof does?

Expand full comment