Paul E. Singer

From the N.Y.Times:

Rarely has it been so clearly explained  what an underhanded rich person has been up to, in spite of his efforts at covertness. 

Talking  Points memo has more comments:

This is the whole "libertarian" thing gone sour. It's all well and good to say that we should not impede the desire of people to live as they please, but  Singer's activities impinge negatively on millions of people who don't even know his name, and these people might also like to live as they please. He is now attempting to manipulate the electoral system in the state of California so that his candidate, Giuliani, can become President. I hope exposing his activities to the public at large can put a stop to his machinations.

His other activities do not strike me as exactly praiseworthy, either. Buying up debt from poor countries and forcing repayment may make him rich, but it does not help out the masses in those places, people who are hardly to blame for the fecklessness of their leaders.

Men like Singer,  operating under the radar,  have distorted our national life and international reputation to such a degree that we are really having trouble figuring out what's causing our current malaise. They simply do what they please and make the rest of us stick it. It seems like the NYT has finally done its job here of informing the public.

The rude awakening seems to be happening this holiday season. What I am struck by as I look at the shoppers in photos of mainland cities is how poor and drab they look, like the Russian masses: saggy blue jeans, cheap shirts and jackets, a generally dispirited air. It's getting scary.

Comments

[Brandon]

"What I am struck by as I look at the shoppers in photos of mainland cities is how poor and drab they look, like the Russian masses: saggy blue jeans, cheap shirts and jackets, a generally dispirited air."

Please disregard the previous post. I accidentally hit Post before I wrote my message, which is: Might you post a photo as an example? And, might wearing suits and dresses brighten people's moods?

[Hattie]

Will do.
I thought I was being perhaps too negative when I wrote the above, but I do well remember when shopping for Christmas was special and we did, in fact, dress up to go to town. But I'm not really into nostalgia for the good old days, plus which you know what a snappy dresser I am!
It's the junky aspect of all this consumerism that bothers me. I guess I have to admit to being a snob about these things.

[Brandon]

I know what you mean about the shopping madness. I intend to shop for Christmas but am not confining myself to one place or one date for that. People think they're getting bargains on Black Friday, but it's really the days after Christmas when the true bargains are to be had.
**
I'd think mainland weather (depending on the place and season) would necessitate my wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts. So I'd wear, at the least, business casual. Nice stuff which would be usually too hot to wear in Hilo without AC.

[Hattie]

I never heard of "Black Friday" before this year. So I don't know where that name came from.
In my family we always shopped on Christmas Eve, unless we went to a movie, that is.
We figured it was our holiday to celebrate as we pleased.

[Brandon]

This is a very informative article on Black Friday, which mentions Buy Nothing Day as a counterpoint.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

Once, in 1999, I did all my shopping on Christmas Eve at the museum gift shop. But generally I try to spread the shopping out over a few weeks.

[Hattie]

You scored again, Brandon. That is about the best informative article on anything I have ever read.