Like a Gold Neighbor

A whipping boy, was a youngster assigned to a crown prince and punished when the prince misbehaved or fell behind in his schooling. Naturally, the issue of the prince's incompetence was never addressed or solved. As long as the whipping boy's back was bloody enough, all was well in the idiot realm.

Every so often our society finds a new whipping boy, in spite of the best efforts of Tony Heyward and Bernie Madoff, nobody comes close to Goldman Sachs in this past year.

It is as if the name and it's embedded symbolism has unnerved the public at large and even the Wall Street community. The nerve of these Men...to pursue Gold...while clutching their Sachs at us!

Whether its Lloyd, Fab or Gary, it seems like with each new week a new sack is in danger of being snipped...even WSO has fallen victim to the panic.

The latest Goldman improv routine is currently being staged by the Downtown Manhattan Players a.k.a. the residents of Goldman's new neighborhood. Apparently, 200 West Street is not the type of location where designer restaurants and luxury hotels have a place. It seems that by replacing existential necessities such as a DSW, a pizza joint and a NYSC gym, Goldman has left yet another poor, unfortunate working class American neighborhood in shambles.

Where does this capitalist behemoth get the gaul, I ask?!?! First, they purchase this property...then...they begin to do what they want with it!!!

Doesn't Goldman understand that this part of the city needs socially conscious, diversity building, neighborhood enriching projects, like a huge mosque at Ground Zero?

Comical and ridiculous as they may seem, these issues have and will continue to have an increasing effect on all of us in the finance community and beyond. What many educated people on this board and in the outside world are failing to recognize is that stupidity has become the norm.

Arguing points from a logical perspective and backing them with data and theory is always preferable when speaking to an intellectually diversified audience. However, stories such as this one point to the tunnel visioned, knee jerk attitude polarity that has permeated the American psyche over the past couple of years.

Goldman has already paid half a billion dollars, offered up a cute french sacrificial lamb, banned cursing in their interoffice memoranda...what else do they need to do?

The issue here isn't some 48 year old wannabee cougar who needs to hoof it all the way past Battery Park for an imperfect pair of Cole Haan's. The issue is the uprising of the mentality that those who work the hardest and achieve the most are villains who need to be policed for the good of the public...

There is a name for that folks...