Yes, greed is as old as humanity... er, humankind. Let's not confuse humanity with humans, right?   Back in the days of cavemen, hunters went after the largest boar, not necessarily because they needed it, but to deprive their competitors of it.  So as it was with the Greeks, Romans and other empire builders, the greater accumulation of wealth and resources was nearly always driven by greed rather than need.

It is no different today, though the empire builders are corporations rather than nations... meaning the profits are centralised and benefiting fewer recipients.

Yes, companies are groups of individuals, but all to often those individuals hide behind the "inanimate object" to avoid responsibility and liability.  Too frequently the top execs pass the buck down the line until reaches some poor innocent grunt becomes the fall guy because he has neither the power or ability to prove his/her innocence.   Happened to me more than once... the management f**ked up and I was one of the lower echelon to cop the blame. 

Nope, I can't say as I like upper-end businessmen at all.  Of all the ones I've met personally {and had time to assess], every one of them was an asshole who'd walk over his own mother to further his agenda.  There were a couple of women among those, too... and I pity any poor bastard who ended up in bed with either of them... they'd get all intimate like and come up with a handful of balls.

There is/are always exceptions to the rule... and family owned businesses who employ local families are often in this category.  I worked for a cane furniture manufacturer whose wife, son and son-in-law helped run the business, and it was one of the best places I ever worked.  The money wasn't fantastic, but the conditions were great, the factory was always friendly and the boss always looked after us.  If ever we ever needed time off to attend to family, whatever, he would always accommodate us loyal employees.  Yup, local/family businesses have more to gain by not being greedy, but by being fair and loyal to the community and their employees.

As for the Fed bailing out ANY bank, US or foreign, it stinks worserer than a roomful of agitated skunks.   Greed got banks into the shit they found themselves, and as far as I'm concerned, if they couldn't legitimately trade themselves back into solvency, they deserved to go under.  In my opinion, Obama made the mistake of bailing out the banks before enforcing strict legislation that gave the Fed greater control over the practices of banks.  In other words, we're enjoying a brief calm before the next financial storm.  Further, laws needed to be enacted or amended to make bankers criminally liable for unsavoury banking/business practices.

The corporations want us to believe this is the case... but in reality, automation and shipping jobs offshore would be the leading reasons jobs have become more scarce....

Same here in Australia... the manufacturing sector was our biggest employer, and because we made exportable goods we kept our balance of payments under better check.  Now mining, tourism and the retail sectors employ more Australians, but the retail sector is struggling because rising interest rates and utility prices have eroded consumer confidence, tourism is suffering on the back of natural disasters and a nervous world economy.  While mining is currently in boom, thanks mostly to a booming Chinese economy, the arse end will fall out of that in the not distant future and Australia will be in recession.  Why, because Aussie banks and businesses are more cut throat greedy capitalists than US businessmen ever were.

As for the US, given the shifting in economic power, it has seen its glory days and will end up having to settle for a spot somewhere much farther down the economic ladder... and with its languishing economic prospects its military might will also languish.  Old money has seen its day as a world leader.  It was Europe's turn 200 - 300 years back, now it's the US' turn to make way for new money.  Asia will lead the world into the new economic dynasty, and the US, along with Europe and the UK, will have to stop whining about playing second fiddle, because frankly, they'll be lucky to even be included in the band.

How do I know all this?  Greed!  Greed has been the downfall of most if not all empires, and the US, while it may not have been actively been empire building, it still was amassing an empire by stealth... via wars, war reparations, loans, aggressive financial takeovers, etc, etc...and the precursor to it all was greed.  A greed that surely be its undoing just as it was the undoing of the Roman Empire, etc, etc. 

In the end, however, it comes down to simple economics.  While the US, Europe and the UK have been trading in the stock market and amassing what essentially is fictitious money, China, South Korea, India, Taiwan, etc, have been building upon and trading manufactured goods... those real, tangible goods we all want to make our modern lives more comfortable, entertaining and efficient.  That's why their economies are thriving!  They are trading in REAL goods... those goods we used to make but our businesses shipped offshore to exploit cheap labour.  Why aren't we doing so good?  We're importing those goods and our balance of payments never adds up because we're borrowing up to our eyeballs and too busy trading in false economies.

But why would anyone listen to me?  I'm just a flatulent pirate with no head for booty.

I listen to you.

Until I have to run because of the *other* thing.

Just as well you have exceptional hearing, then.

Can't say as I've ever seen a pair of human legs carry somebody so far so fast in such a short [blink of an eye] space of time.

Nope, Speedy Gonzales doesn't have a patch on you, me old mate.

[    ] <- *in brackets the hole in the air left after doc engaged warp drive.

I agree, starkers has good aim. I also would again like to thank Elana for pointing all the sheep to the Wolff. Why does the spell check here state the banksters is not spelled correct? I love that term.

Richard Wolff: Why the Economic Crisis Deepens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n30zO0ABFqc

Back to topic.
I gave that image search thing a try and holy cow, my grandfather came up as Jim Morrison . Have to try a few more, that gave me the chuckles but it did also find the original I posted and lost the link to long ago.

Another reason NOT to trust Google

Yes, the "open and transparent" company is refusing to send its top 2 executives to give evidence at a Senate Committee hearing.

It seems various concerns want Google to fess up and/or face the music for sending out fleets of cars in several countries to collect unsecured Wi-Fi data.

Personally, I'd like to see some gonads rolling on the floor over that one... and the upper echelon at Google all singing soprano if not high alto.

I'm always right... 'cept when the missus tells me [95% of the time] that I'm wrong.

About the gonads rolling about on the floor?  Yeah, it would make for a kinky game of marbles, wouldn't it?

Seriously, though, the world is a much sadder place because of greed... the fact that over 90% of personal wealth lies with less than 1% of the total population.  While there are some high end businessmen, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, for example, who contribute back to the community through various charitable works and donations, too many wealthy entrepreneurs are hording trillions in personal wealth yet are doing nothing constructive with it, other than let it collect obscene amounts of interest.  Nah, I'd hate to be wealthy like that.  I mean, what would be the point... can't take it with you, right?