[441] in Privacy_Forum
[ PRIVACY Forum ] Pitchforks or Pointed Ears -- vs. AIG
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (privacy@vortex.com)
Sat Mar 21 18:21:05 2009
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:04:20 -0700
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Pitchforks or Pointed Ears -- vs. AIG
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000524.html
Greetings. A mob mentality seems to be taking hold regarding the
financial crisis, and unless we all stop behaving like opportunistic
children, we could find ourselves in a very bad place indeed, that
might make today's situation look like a cakewalk by comparison.
Mobs are virtually always wrong, and typically end up doing far more
damage than the targets of their wrath could ever do.
Politicians, news commentators, and others are now consciously using
the AIG bonus situation to stir up populist, mob-type actions,
apparently in the furtherance of their own future goals and positions.
The most likely outcome of these activities, like all demonization
efforts (the manipulation of public opinion following the U.S.
invasion of Iraq comes immediately to mind as another example), is
typically the loss of much blood, much treasure, or both. In fact,
the same style of rhetoric is being used on some cable news channels
about AIG as was heard against Saddam Hussein.
Fomented emotionalism solves nothing, and only raises the probability
that we make bad decisions and go down paths that may sometimes appear
to have short term benefits, but bring with them immense long term
costs.
People who know me well have sometimes accused me of being "coldly
logical" in a crisis. I'll plead guilty to that, even at the risk of
channeling Mr. Spock from time to time.
I get angry and upset like everyone else about our financial disaster,
but there's a time and place for emotional outbursts later, after
we're on a logical and clear path to real solutions.
Everyone needs to take a step back, take a deep breath, and think
about what we actually need to do to save the global financial system
from total cataclysm.
Emotional grandstanding and pitchfork wielding mobs will only help to
assure that we all -- to use the vernacular -- end up well and truly
screwed.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
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