Saturday, December 08, 2007

On Predators

I am about twenty pounds overweight and I have a mild headache. I blame predatory grocers and a predatory bartender, respectively. Can't pay back your loans? Find a predator to blame.

The word predator is taking on a whole new meaning before our eyes and I intend to embrace the new and expanded meaning of the word.

Your property taxes will soon be arriving. If your bill increases, you can blame our predatorial politicians.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

...typical Libertatian comment...

You must love the vitriolic anti-Hillary Clinton videos where people swear about her, call her vicious names, and commit the sin of calumny against her.

I guess that is predatory politics...

Denis Navratil said...

Wow anon, you are really reading alot into my comments. I don't spend my time watching vitriolic videos about anyone. I get my daily dose of vitriol from you, thank you very much.

Caledonication said...

You forgot predatory anonymous posters Denis.

Anonymous said...

Just what have I said that is defamatory?

Just show 1 thing.

All I have ever done is report on what the 'right' is doing.

It is you guys that continually post anti-'left' (whatever you think that is) commentary.

Twist everything - it seems what you all do.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

What is your position on the government bailing out borrowers (and their lenders) who negotiated adjustable rate mortgages and now can't pay them since the terms of their mortgage agreements adjusted the interest rates upward?

Anonymous said...

The entire system of laizze faire capitalism is set up to allow the predators succeed. The modus operandi under this form of capitalistic economic exchange is 'buyer beware'.

The proviso is this: Those at the lower economic levels, who have been indoctrinated with supply side economic rhetoric, have never been to a University of Chicago/Milton Friedman class to learn how it all operates.

This is a long way of saying, the rich will get bailed out, like the mortgage holding companies in New Orleans, while the poor slobs that lose everything, like in new Orleans, are considered collateral damage of the capitalistic project.

Anonymous said...

Quote:
...I have chosen the name Free Racine for a reason. For Racine to realize its great potential, we must free ourselves from our own failed policies, from high taxes, failing schools, and self serving politicians...
-------------------------------

Can you NOT see the arrogance of a supposition that this blogger begins with?

It is no wonder that the right cannot see the log in their own eye, but constantly holds up a straw man 'leftist' on which to heap contempt!

Anonymous said...

Tell me that raising interest rates on existing credit card holders is not predatory? Tell me that the ease at which credit cards and banks and mortgage companies solicit customers isn't predatory? Tell me that the few capitalizing on the financial collapses of families everywhere isn't predatory?

Golly, banks have to make a profit! Drug Companies reap billions!

DON'T WORRY! WEALTH WILL TRICKLE DOWN!!!!

Denis Navratil said...

CK, you are the owner of an art gallery, are you not? And don't you place some of your items in the window so as to entice potential customers? Do you investigate the finances of your customers to ensure that they are not forgoing food in order to purchase your artwork? CK, aren't you also a predator?

By the way, when lenders lend and borrowers fail to pay, the lenders lose money. The only people "capitalizing" on the finacial collapse of families are bankruptcy lawyers and politicians.

Anonymous said...

I just read a story about a woman who bought a home in 1985 for $105,000. She has managed to borrow $625,000 over the years in "equity" on this home - one of her purchases was a new Lexus. Now I, and all those who use credit wisely and can't afford a Lexus, will be welcome to bail out all of the people like her.

From each according to his ability to each according to his need. Always make sure you need the most!

Anonymous said...

A good friend has put Thomas Sowell Controversial Essays in my hands and I am going to attempt to read it. Thomas Sowell must be like that fellow played by Russell Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma. That character was real smooth and predatory.

Anonymous said...

Upon further reflection . . .

The cries of "we have lost everything" have now entered the manmade global warming-destroyed Stratosphere. What have victims of predatory home loans lost?

A common scenario is people with no credit - or bad credit - showed up at a bank or searched online and wanted to buy a home for $100,000-$200,000 (although some were even higher) with little, or more often, no money down. Even with a terrible interest rate, they were paying what - $1200 per month? Suddenly they can't pay the mortgage and they have to leave the house - with all their stuff.

What have they lost? The money they put down? Again, in many cases this amount was $0. Their credit rating? When you have no credit or bad credit your number is already low so no loss here. All the money you spent to live in the house? Unless these people were all living somewhere rent-free, and I have no doubt that some were, they had to spend cash each month to rent an apartment or house anyway.

But no problem, I'll bail you out - but if I suddenly lose my job or get an interest rate increase and can't pay my bills, I will lose my equity and my credit rating - the rating I've worked so hard all my life to achieve and maintain. Then someone will bail me out, right?

Anonymous said...

A correction, sort of -

I just read an article that quoted a study that showed that many of the subprime loans were actually refinances of previously existing mortgages. So in many cases our bailout will be for folks who cashed out to buy things like cars, clothes and bling bling (bling-bling?).

In addition, most ARMs are limited to a 7.5% correction in the total payment per year regardless of the correction in the interest rate. Therefore that person who was paying - or supposed to be paying - $1200 per month has to claim that they are ruined over the potential of paying $1290 per month.

I also now understand that some of the teaser interest rates were as low as 1%!!! The bailout will lock those in for five years. I shouldn't have been tearing up my junk mail with these ridiculous offers!!!!

Anonymous said...

The 40% of Americans which would like to OWN a house rather than pay landlords 10's of thousands of $$$ for a rent check - how bad of them that they wanted the 'AMERICAN DREAM' which is taught to them by folks like those than post 'right' on these!

Those bad dreamers!

Anonymous said...

How about a topic called:

"The Hubris of the Right"

Anonymous said...

Hey anonymous? What? You couldn't get your meds filled this weekend? How about you eventually STFU?

Denis Navratil said...

ck, now your going to shame me into reading the Winter of My Discontent. I will get to it soon, I promise. Keep in mind that you will be reading Sowell's controversial essays. The majority of his work is not controversial, so you will be getting a skewed sampling of Sowell.

Anonymous said...

ck, now your going to shame me into reading the Winter of My Discontent. I will get to it soon, I promise. Keep in mind that you will be reading Sowell's controversial essays. The majority of his work is not controversial, so you will be getting a skewed sampling of Sowell.
-------------------------

I read his columns in the newspaper...he echoes lots of Cosby and his Professor friend/writer who are quite limited in their critique of culture...

Anonymous said...

The Winter of Our Discontent http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Winter_of_Our_Discontent

Part One

Chapter II

* "I'm sorry," Ethan said. "You have taught me something -- maybe three things, rabbit footling mine. Three things will never be believed -- the true, the probable, and the logical. I know now where to get the money to start my fortune."

[edit] Chapter III

* It is odd how a man believes he can think better in a special place. I have such a place, have always had it, but I know it isn't thinking I do there, but feeling and experiencing and remembering. It's a safety place -- everyone must have one, although I never heard a man tell of it.

* They successfully combined piracy and puritanism, which aren't so unlike when you come right down to it. Both had a strong dislike for opposition and both had a roving eye for other people's property.

* No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.

* Does anyone ever know even the outer fringe of another? What are you like in there? Mary -- do you hear? Who are you in there?

[edit] Chapter V

* A man who tells secrets or stories must think of who is hearing or reading, for a story has as many versions as it has readers.

[edit] Chapter VI

* To be alive at all is to have scars.

* No one wants advice -- only corroboration.

[edit] Chapter VIII

* There's something desirable about anything you're used to as opposed to something you're not."

[edit] Part Two

[edit] Chapter XI

* All men are moral. Only their neighbors are not.

[edit] Chapter XIII

* Maybe not having time to think is not having the wish to think.

[edit] Chapter XIV

* Not only the brave get killed, but the brave have a better chance of it.

* Good God, what a mess of draggle-tail impulses a man is -- and a woman too, I guess.