"Right but nobody here gives a damn about the companies, except maybe you."
And me. We give a damn about those companies because it determines the wealth of the people. So do you I supose?

"Us "liberals" are more worried about the people who had their money invested in these banks, in the form of chequing accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, RESPs, RRSPs, etc. They're the ones who get screwed over."
So are we! As long as the same incompetent thieves at the top get "saved" over and over again with the money of you and me, those companies remain corrupt.

"Incidentally, in "leftie" Canada, every penny of your chequing account is guaranteed by the government, since banks are far more regulated."
As Einstein pointed out, in US it is guaranteed as well as in Europe. Banks are regulated in wrong way, we do not dispute that fact. But if you made functional rules, you end up with 1/10 of the current rules and do better.

"Greed is a power that can be harnessed through rational thought and then used to drive society to a better place."
No its not. Maybe by genetic manipulation it is.

"North Korea's public debt is 0.4% of their GDP."
Maybe its because their civilians don't eat they are so overwhelmingly rich they can't afford anything. I'll buy your ticket, feel free to go. In any case they cannot lend money otherwise they would have.

"Cuba's is 34.3% of their GDP." "China is currently at 18.9% of their GDP."
How long was it possible for them to lend money? Given the fact they sacrifice everything else including their future. Ironically of the 3 countries, the one with the biggest debt is the only one I would want to live in for more then a week.

@Einstein:
They enrich themselves cause they get away with it.

Lol @bief

Somebody post JMK vs FAH

'I've started stocking up on beers'
It doesn't actually stay in your belly

I don't know about you bief, but there is no decent party in Belgium to vote for, and I don't want to start one myself.

Talking about civilized, what was your excuse for not making a decent gov for so long?

Can't help you with this one Einstein.

Nobody seems to take up the gauntlet.

"Now if we could get a gas embargo going, we'd REALLY see some serious internal problems in Iran (Iran exports oil, but imports gas... and subsidizes it so the population doesn't actually pay the full cost of gas.  A gas embargo would essentially shut down the Iranian economy pretty quickly, and easily create a new Arab Spring in Iran)."
I like the idea. A spark will make Iranian youth revolt. Will never happen tough, to much money earned with gas and oil.

lol

"Disagree.  Resources are abundant, but not accessible from our current infrastructure arrangement.  Proper investment in infrastructure development is essential in lowering the cost of resources and production of goods."
I disagree in turn, but I will answer to your long previous post first, as you put a lot of effort in it, before reacting to this one.