Reporter infiltrates private Wall Street bigwig party

[devil21]

Interesting read though the antics probably aren't surprising to most on RPF. Only question I have is why the article was just published if it happened two years ago.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/i-crashed-a-wall-street-secret-society.html



Once we made it to the lobby, Ross and Lebenthal reassured me that what I’d just seen wasn’t really a group of wealthy and powerful financiers making homophobic jokes, making light of the financial crisis, and bragging about their business conquests at Main Street’s expense. No, it was just a group of friends who came together to roast each other in a benign and self-deprecating manner. Nothing to see here.

eta: I don't have anything against successful people. I do have a problem with those that are successful because their entire careers center around ripping everyone else off.

[Brian4Liberty]

Nothing to see here. Move along. The rich and powerful never have secret gatherings. That's just crazy conspiracy talk!

[AuH20]

I hate the 1% nonmenclature. More like the .01 % that attend this type of event. The real scumbags that pull the levers of power to their advantage. There are members of the 1% statistically that may own a car dealership or two, but that doesn't necessarily make them vampiric power brokers.

[Brian4Liberty]

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/14/14-kappa-beta-phi-members-list4.o.jpg/a_560x0.jpg

[ItsTime]

So they had a party, dressed funny and made fun of people. Sounds like any other party.

[AuH20]

If these sycophants made their money without the meticulous manipulations of the Federal Reserve, I could applaud them. But unfortunately, we know this is not true.

[Brian4Liberty]

I hate the 1% nonmenclature. More like the .01 % that attend this type of event. The real scumbags that pull the levers of power to their advanatage. There are members of the 1% statistically that may own a car dealership or two, but that doesn't necessarily make them vampiric power brokers.

The interesting thing is the number of people who would qualify to be the "Oligarchy" or "Plutocracy". As you say, many people, especially the deluded leftists and socialists, think that half of the population is the corrupt upper crust. On the other hand, there are conspiracy theorists who have the numbers far too low. Really, it's just the people who have power, money and the ability to wield it to their advantage at the cost of others. And even within that group, there is a hierarchy and levels of influence. It's all more common sense than anything else.

[Brian4Liberty]

So they had a party, dressed funny and made fun of people. Sounds like any other party.

Or any group of people who have created an exclusive clique.

The story itself is diluted down to being not much more than "a bunch of rich Republicans make politically incorrect jokes. Oh, the horror!" It's just leftist drivel at that point.


I hate the 1% nonmenclature. More like the .01 % that attend this type of event. The real scumbags that pull the levers of power to their advantage. There are members of the 1% statistically that may own a car dealership or two, but that doesn't necessarily make them vampiric power brokers.

The vampire analogy is interesting, like the various powerful vampires in the movies or shows that say that humans are just their food, nothing more. Jokes about creating jobs? Obviously they don't give a damn about jobs or the unemployment rate, despite public statements to the contrary. Mundanes are just slaves or collateral damage.

[Brian4Liberty]

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/14/14-kappa-beta-phi-members-list2.o.jpg/a_560x0.jpg

[Brian4Liberty]

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/14/14-kappa-beta-phi-members-list5.o.jpg/a_560x0.jpg

[Lucille]

http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2014/02/18/our-decadent-elites/


I wonder if the titans of Wall Street understand how they look in this.

At least they tried to keep it secret. That was good of them!

They are America’s putative great business leaders. They are laughing, singing, drinking, posing in drag and acting out skits. The skits make fun of their greed and cynicism. In doing this they declare and make clear, just in case you had any doubts, that they are greedy and cynical.

All of this is supposed to be merry, high-jinksy, unpretentious, wickedly self-spoofing. But it seems more self-exposing, doesn’t it?

And all of it feels so decadent.

[Philhelm]

The interesting thing is the number of people who would qualify to be the "Oligarchy" or "Plutocracy". As you say, many people, especially the deluded leftists and socialists, think that half of the population is the corrupt upper crust. On the other hand, there are conspiracy theorists who have the numbers far too low. Really, it's just the people who have power, money and the ability to wield it to their advantage at the cost of others. And even within that group, there is a hierarchy and levels of influence. It's all more common sense than anything else.

The stink of corruption can be found at all levels of society. They should be rooted out and destroyed.

[Philhelm]

The interesting thing is the number of people who would qualify to be the "Oligarchy" or "Plutocracy". As you say, many people, especially the deluded leftists and socialists, think that half of the population is the corrupt upper crust. On the other hand, there are conspiracy theorists who have the numbers far too low. Really, it's just the people who have power, money and the ability to wield it to their advantage at the cost of others. And even within that group, there is a hierarchy and levels of influence. It's all more common sense than anything else.

The stink of corruption can be found at all levels of society. They should be rooted out and destroyed.

[devil21]

Paging Zippyjuan. Paging Zippyjuan. Clean-up on aisle 322 please.