"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum". -- Noam Chomsky Why do we keep debating things like abortion continuously like clockwork every election? Because it has no bearing on corporate earnings. We are allowed to have this debate. The power brokers want us to talk circles around this. The more we do, the less likely we are to talk about things like the repealing of Citizens United or re-implementation of Glass Steagall or raising the capital gains tax. Another great Chomsky quote: Either you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound like it's from Neptune.
Glass Steagall is not talked about in most circles. Its my understanding that the act had been in place since the mid 1930's. The fact that it was repealed by the Clinton administration has always baffled me. Allowing comercial banks to get in cahoots with investment houses, according to some experts my be the catalyst for a financial disaster like we have never seen. You can bundle up a few thousand mortgages and sell them as an investment product, to lets say an investor in china. Now you have some poor sap in Springfield IL who's mortgage is owned by a chinese investment firm.
Nail on the head here; both your comment, and mk's above it.