The+Great+Gatsby

__My Initial Reactions__ The biggest connection I see is the root of selfishness. The bankers were only concerned with their success, their profit, and they cheated others in order to get to the top. They had no problem running their companies to the ground because they made their money in the first 3 years. There was a complete disregard for how their decision would affect those around them or society in general. Also, it is clear in both Inside Job and The Great Gatsby that the elite = moral decay. Just like Tom and Daist carried on extra marrital affairs, the bankers were heavily involved in prostitution and had no problem returning to their wives and families the next morning. Lastly, I see the theme of temporary pleasure. The characters in Gatsby invested in pleasure that only brought them temporary happiness and in fact ruined them in the end. Deregulation worked for a while. In fact, it produced an economic boom. But in the end, it destroyed the nation.
 * felt safe behind money
 * can't get enough

__ Gordon Gekko: “Greed is Good” __ Gekko argues that corporate executives are overpaid and complacent. He warns the shareholders that Teldar is not protecting their interests, which is their job. He thinks that the sharholders should use the power that they do have, as "owners" of the company, and not although the Board to operate inefficiently. He thinks that shareholders should take more and want more. Gekko jokes about the lavish lifestyle of the executives- with thier private jets and such- just like Inside job does. The owners of the company are overapaid and don't really do much. Opposite to the Inside Job, Gekko thinks that great is the answer. If you define greed as excess, then that goes completely against what led to the economic recession in 2008. Everyone wanted too much. Executives wanted more money; they couldn't get enough. They gave out too many loans when they shouldn't have. Gekko believes that, "greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind." I couldn't disagree more. Not being able to stop is what gets people in trouble. It doesn't save the USA, it opens it up to sin. Greed is all about oneself; it is a selfish emotion. If you're only thinking about yourself, you have a disregard for others and for the potential consequences.

__ Barbara Ehrenreich: “Serving in Florida” __ Love this! This reminds me of the show Under Cover boss. The CEO of a major company goes under cover and sees what it's like to be one of his employees. His eyes are opened to how much they struggle to get by. At the end of the show, he reveals his identity and gives the employees he met huge amounts of money. This really highlights the social and economic gap in our society. How can some people have money to burn while others scrounge to make it. They say America is the land of opportunity, but as Barbara soon found out, there wasn't much moving room at her level. She couldn't get passed the assumption that she was a dishonest druggie, and all the jobs she was appilicable didn't pay her more that $7 an hour. She couldn't even offord a trailor! How in the world was she supposed to move up in society?! In her case, the American dream was not achievable.

__ Miners saved by capitalism-Wall Street Journal __ Daniel Henninger believes that America's ability for innovation save the Chilians in the mine. Americans have the ability to create and surpass each other to the point where you don't even know what is all out there. This is in contrast to Inside Job because it emphasizes how deregulation is what started the tumble effect of the economy. Henninger references Obama saying, "The basic idea is that if we put our blind faith in the market and we let corporations do whatever they want and we leave everybody else to fend for themselves, then America somehow automatically is going to grow and prosper." Because everybody did what they wanted, no one was aware of how many loans were out there, or what the consequences would pile up to be.

__ “Junk Mortgages Under the Microscope”-Fortune __ This is right in line with Inside Job. Toxic waste was disguised as distilled water, Goldman covered its losses by betting successfully that the price of junk mortgages would drop, risk was minimized, accountability was non-existent, and they gave people what they want. This highlights the cost of the American dream. To get what you want you have to be able to please peolple, scheme, and cut corners.

__ In Goldman Sachs We Trust __ This one really confuses me, but part of it to me is talking about temporary happiness. Goldman issued more than a quarter of a billion dollars worth of securities in less than a month, and then activity at Goldman subsided. Although it grew the fasted of all enterprises, it was the most corrupt. In fact, Goldman promoted Slenandoah and Blue Ridge, the very people that were doing things the wrong way. This is like when Presidents Bush in the Inside Job appoints the men and former CEOs who are chiefly responsible for the corrupt system, commenting on their "experience and integrity". We live in a world where we glorify dishonor.  Why are we trusting these people??

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__Most Important Cost__ I think that the biggest thing required to fulfill an immoral dream is giving up your voice. You need to be whoever the other people want you to be. This is clearly seen in Nick as he watches affairs and lies play our right before his eyes. Although his background leads him to recognize that others' actions are wrong, he stifles that side of himself in order to tag along in their social world. The only point of having morals is to fight for them. Nick stays silent. He has to stay silent; he is learning the ways of aristocracy and the bond business. If he went against the tide, he'd be kicked out. It reminds me of the movie, Mean Girls. Lindsey Lohan's character comes from Africa; she is as pure as someone can get. But because of her need to make friends, she finds herself trying to be a part of the popular group and by doing so become the meanest girl of them all. She has to dress like them and talk like them. The one time she ever made a comment about their behavior and treatment of people, she was shunned. Daisy also gives up her voice. When confronted with Tom and Gatsby, the reader can see that she clearly lies about her past feelings with Gatsby. She knows what she has to say in order to be provided security. She isn't willing to tell the truth at all costs. She loses her voice; her ability to get what her heart truly desires.