Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail?

Labour's economic legacy - in pictures We have published a booklet of images which put Labour's economic legacy in context. The graphics show how Labour's disregard for taxpayers' money left the UK with the worst deficit of any country in the G20. It means that we are now spending more on debt interest than we spend on schools, the police, or defence. 'Occupy Wall Street' Fighting Bankster Greed and the Surveillance State September 27, 2011 | Like this article? Join our email list: Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email. Occupy Harrisburg quietly ends after more than a year of 24/7 protesting The Occupy Harrisburg group at the state Capitol, the second longest-running Occupy movement in the nation, has left after more than a year of protesting corporate greed, economic inequality and the influence of big business on government. The tent — which stood in sun, wind, rain and ice at the bottom of the state Capitol steps on North Third Street — is gone. The protesters who held such signs as “Join us. You’re the 99 percent” and “Free Your Mind” are gone. Protesters stayed at the tent around the clock for nearly a year. While on “duty” in the tent, they didn’t sleep, drink, use drugs or fight.

We Speak on PBS Newshour About Why No Bank Executives Have Gone to Jail The cynic in me has to note that PBS Newshour decided to cover the issue of why no banksters have gone to jail on what has to be one of their lowest traffic days of the year. And I have a sneaking suspicion I got the call to go on the show because it was not exactly easy to find people willing to be taped late in the afternoon on the day before Thanksgiving (they did have to go to the trouble not only of arranging for a studio in Alabama, but also finding a makeup person, since I’m not in the habit of taking my TV warpaint with me when I travel). I hope you like this segment. PBS prefers a format which keeps the guests from interacting directly. On the one hand, they do allow each speaker to make fairly long, uninterrupted comments, which is refreshing (at least on American TV).

Make Wall Street Pay Today, National People's Action and the Public Accountability Initiative releases the groundbreaking report, "Big Bank Tax Drain: How Wall Street Speculation and Tax Avoidance are Starving Public Revenues." Download the full report here. EXECUTIVE SUMMARYWall Street banks caused the economic crisis that has left millions unemployed, foreclosed-on, and without prospects in the worst economy since the Great Depression. This crisis has, in turn, caused massive tax revenue shortfalls for the federal government and for state governments across the country: nearly $300 billion combined for 50 states in the years since the crisis began. To deal with these budget woes, politicians are cutting public spending: laying off teachers, attacking public sector workers, raiding pensions, closing hospitals, and eliminating essential services for children, veterans, and the elderly.

What's the Wall Street Occupation Really About? by Nathan Schneider There’s a lot of misinformation about the occupation of Wall Street. What’s it really about? posted Sep 23, 2011 Click here for a photo essay from the #OccupyWallStreet protests. Naomi Wolf’s ‘Shocking Truth’ About the ‘Occupy Crackdowns’ Offers Anything but the Truth November 26, 2011 | Like this article? Join our email list: Heist of the century: Wall Street's role in the financial crisis Bernard L Madoff ran the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, operating it for 30 years and causing cash losses of $19.5bn. Shortly after the scheme collapsed and Madoff confessed in 2008, evidence began to surface that for years, major banks had suspected he was a fraud. None of them reported their suspicions to the authorities, and several banks decided to make money from him without, of course, risking any of their own funds.

A Major Win for UK Uncut Amidst all the news reports bouncing back and forth right now about mass arrests and political policing, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of what we’re fighting for, and how far we’ve come as a group. Today saw the launch of a public inquiry, to be conducted by the Treasury select committee, into the issue of corporate tax avoidance. An issue which, six months ago, didn’t even figure on the political map for many, is now taking centre stage and, one way or another, this Government will be forced to listen. What is more, the executives of some of the worst offenders – hopefully Barclays, Vodafone and Boots amongst them – will be called to answer questions before the committee about their “tax efficiency” practices. The Best Among Us - Chris Hedges' Columns The Best Among Us Posted on Sep 29, 2011 By Chris Hedges