Madoff Movie

We caught the HBO movie with DeNiro playing the part of Bernie Madoff.

First off, the acting was great. I had recently seen the Comedian with DeNiro and as I was watching Madoff I kept trying to sync both performances. He's such a great actor. Michelle Pfeiffer as Ruth was stunning as well.

I felt a little torn as the movie humanized Madoff a little bit. Even one second of feeling bad for him was way too much!

He stole billions of dollars from people.

Hard-working, honest people.

It appeared that he justified it in his own mind as having preyed on the greedy, which he most certainly did, but he also wiped out pension funds, life-savings, and people in his own family.

He obliterated existences and he did it without conscience.

He didn't even know why he was doing it after a while. It was a game of poker and he truly didn't even ante up with his own money.

Sociopath!

And every time one of these scandals hits...

...it infuriates me.

The robber barons who caused the bank collapse were never punished.

The multi-millionaires pulling down 8-figure bonuses think they deserve it...

...and they go home and watch their wide-screen televisions, consider the working poor as dregs on our society...

...and never look back.

I suppose that Madoff and guys like him (and while his robbery was unique, there are plenty like him) aren't the ones who bother me the most!!

Nope.

I'm more bothered by the people who think that guys who steal for a living while wearing fancy suits are somehow entitled to do so.

While men who work two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads, and get assistance to help pay the light bill, are somehow pathetic.

I don't much care for people who look down their noses at those people.

And here's the rub:

We are all a lot closer to that second group than the first.

Yet it's funny, but people who have a tiny bit of the American dream are prone to look down upon those who are struggling.

They generalize:

"Get a better job!"

They patronize:

"Do without your phone!"

And they fail to look sideways at the millions walking out the door, carried to summer homes by the very wealthy

"Get rid of Obamacare!"

So we can give a tax cut to the rich????

Makes no sense.

You wonder how Madoff was able to pull it off for so long?

Yeah, our system allowed for him to pillage the poor.

And we're working hard to strip the regulations so another guy just like him can do it again...

...and blame the money problems on the people who don't have any.

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