Love them. Hate them. Lob somewhat imaginative insults in the general direction of 85 Broad. Suck on their gold-plated scrots. When it comes down to it, Goldman Sachs could really honestly care less. Sure, they’re not thrilled by this new (or if not new, intensified) trend in which everyone hates their guts, which would explain why the bank has begun allowing basically anyone into the building in an attempt to combat the bad press, the conspiracy theories, and the websites popping up daily claiming to have evidence that Lloyd Blankfein has been trafficking human fetuses created with the sole intent of one day putting grass on that field. They’re not idiots. They do want to at least make a vague effort to show they’re not “oblivious to public opinion,” and, seriously, if you mention the AIG thing one more time, or suggest there was some impropriety there, someone will be dispatched to go circus freak crazy on your ass, but really? So long as no one stands in the way of makin’ it rain? You can say or think whatever you want. Yes, even you, you hooker loving dick.*
The idea that things might just go back to the way they’ve always been on Wall Street is, of course, infuriating to those who had hoped the financial meltdown would be an opportunity for reform. A few days after Goldman reported its second-quarter profits, Eliot Spitzer, a critic of the AIG bailout, tells me: “If all we are getting are newly empowered and capital-rich hedge funds that benefit from market volatility, then we are not only rebuilding the same edifice, but we’re contributing to the underlying rot in our economy.”
In the end, Goldman’s reputation is a luxury they may well be able to do without. Robert Rubin has been privately critical of how the firm has handled the threats to its prestige, and Rogers recently addressed the firm’s reputation in seminars with Goldman staff. But a person who frequently talks to senior executives at Goldman sums up the company’s attitude this way: “If we can push the envelope without D.C. punishing us, we don’t care about our Main Street reputation.” Blankfein in particular is said to be dismissive of the firm’s critics. According to a person close to him, the CEO believes Goldman’s internal problems will disappear once compensation comes back. In other words, money will solve everything.
Is Goldman Sachs Evil? Or Just Too Good? [NYM]
*Goldman’s words, not mine.
I just want to be loved. is that so much to ask?
-lb
The secret shadow government run by LB and TG from the basement of 85 Broad.
@1
You can be loved as much as you want. You just gotta pay.
-Ashlee Dupre
They increased the book amount per trader now that LEH/BSC are gone – just more money spread over the same, or fewer, number of traders.
When some pissed off, laid off, former home owner starts taking out bankers they’ll notice.
Do you guys really think a couple more years of double-digit unemployment for the working slobs, and a couple more years of ridiculous banking practices/salaries for a few, is going to go unnoticed by the unstable, unemployed, and pissed off? Really?
You guys aren’t that hard to find.
Ten bucks says someone takes out a banker before the year is out.
Keep grabbing with both hands, you fucks.
(not laid off, not pissed off, never owned a home, so I’m not talking about myself, of course.)
Welcome aboard, but fail on needing assistance at all.
love,
Exxon
Hated since 1870/1973
“Keep grabbing with both hands, you fucks.”
Sure @5, clearly you are not pissed off.
@4
didn’t you already say that in the opening bell comments?
loser
What a useless article. Re-hasing the same old sh*t from the ZH, Taibbi et al.
Efficiency and progress is ours once more
Now that we have the neutron bomb
Its nice and quick and clean and gets things done
Away with excess enemy
But no less value to property
No sense in war but perfect sense at home
The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight
Gonna
Kill kill kill kill kill the poortonight
Behold the sparkle of champagne
The crime rates gone
Feel free again
O lifes a dream with you, miss lily white
Jane fonda on the screen today
Convinced the liberals its okay
So lets get dressed and dance away the night
While they
Kill kill kill kill kill the poortonight
Ummm…. I am pretty sure they increased the book amount per trader now that LEH/BSC are gone – just more sacks of gold spread over the same, or fewer, number of traders.
It’s real simple. The goal of trading is to survive. The goal of speculation is to make money. Goldman Sachs is expert at both. When speculation dinged them, survival made them billions. Remember that when you want to imitate Goldman Sachs.
~Hephaestus,
God of Jewels and Forging Metals
So the money quote is from some unnamed person who “frequently talks to senior executives at Goldman” and how he “sums up the company’s attitude”
Crackerjack reporting NY Mag.
@6 Reminiscing the litigation and settlement of the Valdeez spill brings a smile to any XOM shareholder face.
-XOM Shareholder
Blankfein’s bag of gold is bigger than most other Jew’s.
That’s Lloyd BlanKfein to you, “Beth”.
- LB
”
The grabbing hands Grab all they can. Everything counts in large amounts.
”
http://www.upmyownass.com/the-grabbing-hands-grab-all-they-can/
I have it on good authority that LB’s private toilet empties out in front of the shelter a few blocks away.
CG
@5 – that’s it, kill the winners. Very Amerikkan of you.
@10 – love the Dead Kennedys
Winners? Who cares.
Cheaters?
Fair fucking game.
Goldman Sachs could learn a lot from this pro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELiKV9Kqo84
@10/20 you suck.
anyone up for a good tea-bagging?
-LB
@18 this is true.
-lloyd
Warrants baby. GS paid over twice what they were initially willing to pay. Don’t tell me that’s because they like to do charity. They are trying to calm the masses. So they do care (up to a point of course).
@26 “twice what they were initially willing to pay”
because plan A was to leave the lube in the drawer
“Push the envelope” what are they anyway, test pilots? The envelopes they are pushing are loaded with cash and go under the doors in the halls of Congress. I don’t think there’s going to be much pushback, of the envelopes or otherwise.
@9
The faux populism at ZH is amazing. EP, like Sarah Palin, loathes, fears and tries to destroy real populists. A bunch of suckers are buying into EP’s anti GS crap, but you got to admit that those suckers would buy into anything that can fuel their anger at civilization.
I’m really glad I don’t look like LB.
@30
I’ll carve that on your tombstone for you.
LB
@21 – please demonstrate how they cheated. And if you mention the Warren Report, Area 51 or if you reference Elvis being alive you instantly lose.
@5 I’m shocked no one has taken out one off the big guys…..just to remind them that “You can’t take it with you!!!”. I think you’re right on “end of the year” deadline. Someone gets plugged but good…..
@6: Exxon didn’t exist in 1870.
Love,
The Standard Oil Trust
@13, read: Headhunter.
After reading @10, regretted very much that my multiple pleas to ban bad poetasters from this site went unheeded. Reading inane shit about tea-bagging is more aesthetically pleasing.
Also, I cannot believe Blankfein stole my idea about trafficking human fetuses. That SOB! Now I have to go get a job!!!
lwT0OO I think this is a real great blog post. Cool.