Mr. Freeze the Financial Crumudgeon: One Angry Honcho!

In a former life, I was Mr. Freeze. I'm not kidding. I was a licensed bill collector in 50 states and my pseudonym was Mr. Richard Freeze. I was in the Credit Industry for many years and I worked both sides of the business. I collected and I also educated the public on sane money management. Before Mr. Freeze went "underground" he also worked for Consumer Credit Counseling Service which was one of the best jobs ever. I became the Financial Curmudgeon because, for so many years, I observed how most Americans get themselves into financial trouble: simply put, they don't know the meaning of the word "enough." In a larger sense there is a certain "class" of individuals who feel they are above the law (let's call them what they are: the wealthy elite financial class) who have perpetrated huge crimes against whole economic systems in the name of the "free market." Well, my dear readers, the Financial Curmudgeon is one angry honcho!!! As a public service, I, Mr. Freeze would like you to take a look at the two 60 Minutes segments below. They explain a lot about how we got into this mess. They also illustrate why capitalism, if left unchecked can be a dangerous thing:

Mr. Freeze and his minions have never believed that letting wolves tend the hen house was a good idea. Unfortunately, our financial system has been controlled by individuals who are only concerned with profit. There are a lot of capitalists who have been preaching the virtues of the "unfettered" free market for decades. Here is the constant refrain: "If we would just get out of the way and let the free market operate without the intervention of regulation, then business will prosper and everyone benefits." This is an expression of the Ronald Reagan "trickle down" baloney that so many Americans believe in. Mr. Freeze knows that in America if something is said over and over again, often enough, then it becomes true. Well, today Mr. Freeze takes great pleasure in pointing his big fat figure at all of the libertarian/conservative think tanks, investment "experts," day traders, financial publications and CEO's who have manufactured this get rich easy propaganda. It is a sort of money-idolatry of biblical proportions. The tragic thing is that this MYTH is now causing domestic and international markets to self-destruct.

Mr. Freeze pic by ElDave