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    ironic_usernameHamilton Nolan
    5/10/13 11:02am

    How about making it so that in the event of a so-called "too big to fail" institution needs a public bailout in order to survive, there are punitive conditions attached.

    For example, in exchange for receiving public bailout funds, the officers must forfeit 100% of their personal assets, including homes, jets, investment and retirement accounts, etc. Furthermore, they then must move to Section 8 housing and wear orange jump suits 40 hours a week whilst picking up trash off of city streets. They're forever banned from working in or around finance or banking, and cannot receive charity from their rich friends to augment their lifestyles.

    They are literally sent to the poorhouse for their malfeasance. Let's see how many banks fail then.

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      -______-ironic_username
      5/10/13 11:08am

      I'm sure everyone will be clamoring for management jobs at banks in your fantasy world.

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      TVs_Frankironic_username
      5/10/13 11:10am

      They'll play the trump card they played last time we put conditions on their bailout money: they'll refuse to accept it.

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    gramercypoliceHamilton Nolan
    5/10/13 11:03am

    Will Elizabeth Warren's influence grow as a result of her positions on these banks, or will it be stymied? Will she encourage others to run for office on her platform, or will she be marginalized? Will she come to chair the Senate Banking Committee, or hold any sway over it, or will seniority ensure that the banks are not held to account?

    That's going to be a big tell going forward. Can she (and she shouldn't have to do it alone, but she probably does) inspire enough of a movement to force a change? At the very least, she hasn't shied away from it so far, and, whatever her flaws, that's something to admire.

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      flyonthewallgramercypolice
      5/10/13 11:16am

      She is the only one right now actively trying to improve the system. If this article makes you mad at the banks, and you don't know who Elizabeth Warren is, go find out because she, right now, is our best advocate against to big to fail.

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      cheerful_exgirlfriendflyonthewall
      5/10/13 11:24am

      She is amazing.

      Did you see her proposal about student loan rates being brought down to the same rate the fed gives banks?

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    UncleCCClaudiusHamilton Nolan
    5/10/13 11:04am

    Insert Head "a" into Guillotine "b."

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      ARP2Hamilton Nolan
      5/10/13 11:05am

      I'm trying to find the article, but a Dem pol introduced a bill that essentially said that if you have more than X ($1T?) in holdings, outstanding loans, investments, etc. you have to maintain higher reserve levels. It doesn't solve the problem, but it helps (some).

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        -______-Hamilton Nolan
        5/10/13 11:08am

        How many fingers am I holding up? Let's count them: one, two, three, four, FIF!

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          cheerful_exgirlfriend-______-
          5/10/13 11:19am

          Math is so hard!

          I'm so glad I don't need it for my job.

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        gilbertkittensHamilton Nolan
        5/10/13 11:18am

        I say, keep the "too big to fail" banks. We taxpayers continue to guarantee their bottom line. We'll bail them out if they need it. In return we get to burn their CEO at the stake if and when that becomes necessary.

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          he7788Hamilton Nolan
          5/10/13 3:03pm

          The problem with risk is the compensation structures. They gamble because they want a 10 million bonus instead a measly $5 million bonus. Yes we should change regulations to force them to have more cash on hand, we should also break these institutions up to distribute risk (It's the government that has allowed all the mergers in the first place that made these institutions too big to fail).

          However, there has to be punitive measures against the people that take risks for their own personal gain. Not just that they lose their job or have to return part of a bonus. He has to be punitive enough financially that the risk is not worth it. Throw in some jail time as well.

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            The_Snark_KnightHamilton Nolan
            5/10/13 11:09am

            I can't shake the feeling that this and unilateral foreign intervention will ultimately be what brings down the American empire. It's kind of precious to quote Lincoln, but his statement that if danger ever reaches us "...it must spring up from among us. It cannot come from abroad" pretty much nails what will be our doom. Our own stupid fucking hubris.

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              Not A SnortHamilton Nolan
              5/10/13 10:59am

              What they're thinking at that moment:

              Blankfein: "I solemnly swear yada, yada, yada"

              Dimon: "Are they serving scallops at Lutece today? I love scallops"

              Mack: "WWII, now that was a WAR! Huh, what? ZZzzzzz"

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                crispyduck14Hamilton Nolan
                5/10/13 11:43am

                It's even more morally offensive when you think about how many times we've done this shit and nothing changes.

                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_a…

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