AIG receives death threats

[SocialismOrBarbarism]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602961.html?hpid=topnewse


A tidal wave of public outrage over bonus payments swamped American International Group (http://financial.washingtonpost.com/custom/wpost/html-qcn.asp?dispnav=business&mwpage=qcn&symb=AIG&nav=el) yesterday. Hired guards stood watch outside the suburban Connecticut offices of AIG Financial Products, the division whose exotic derivatives brought the insurance giant to the brink of collapse last year. Inside, death threats and angry letters flooded e-mail inboxes. Irate callers lit up the phone lines. Senior managers submitted their resignations. Some employees didn't show up at all. Thoughts?

[Mike Rotchtickles]

a good opportunity for a revolution. the greed of capitalism has been exposed. Socialist need to stoke the fires and watch it burn down.

[DancingLarry]

So... what mechanisms do revolutionary leftists have in place for fire stoking? Or have we been caught with our drawers down by the first truly promising era for us in nearly 40 years?

[himalayanspirit]

Good time for the working class people to demonstrate their strength. The true strength lies among the masses. I heard that around a million French are already holding mass rallies and protests in various cities and towns today. Good start to pressurize the government.

I predict that the US will soon follow too.

[FreeFocus]

It's just a whole bunch of talk by some frustrated people. Nothing will come of this.

[YKTMX]

I don't know that killing AIG executives is going to do any good per se, but I'm still very much in favour of it!

[Mather]

I heard that around a million French are already holding mass rallies and protests in various cities and towns today. Good start to pressurize the government.


The rallies in France now have three million people on the streets according to the Trade Unions who organised the rallies.

[fabiansocialist]

Good time for the working class people to demonstrate their strength.

In the USA, the working class -- even the lumpenproletariat, in fact -- has been fooled into thinking it's "middle-class."

[fabiansocialist]

I don't know that killing AIG executives is going to do any good per se, but I'm still very much in favour of it!

I agree. Let there be a river of blood.

[Guerrilla22]

I feel really sorry for the executives of AIG and their families, why shouldn't they get bonuses, they've done a great job running their company.

[SocialismOrBarbarism]

I feel really sorry for the executives of AIG and their families, why shouldn't they get bonuses, they've done a great job running their company.

It's those damn poor people trying to punish the productive members of society. The AIG execs should teach us a lesson and go Galt.

[SocialismOrBarbarism]

I'm almost sure the people who sent those letters to AIG have no leftist ideology. The so-called "left" in the US are just sitting on their asses crying over cruel capitalism.

They're probably a bunch of crazy right wingers that think that us bailing out AIG is a sign that Obama is making America communist.

[Dust Bunnies]

Even though this AIG scandal won't knock down Capitalism, I feel like we have been caught with our pants down. I'm not sure about other countries, but fires may be starting there, we need to pick up our pants and help support the movement. Once some countries fall to us or atleast fall into chaos in a revolution VS government situation the US will fall into our sights next.

[himalayanspirit]

The rallies in France now have three million people on the streets according to the Trade Unions who organised the rallies.

Thats quite a lot of people. It seems one can expect radical changes in the French politics in the coming future. Already Ireland, Latvia, Greece etc, are experiencing social unrest and protests.



In the USA, the working class -- even the lumpenproletariat, in fact -- has been fooled into thinking it's "middle-class."

I guess its the "middle-class" (working class) that is being most affected because of the current economic crisis. I predict the "middle-class" to wake up to reality after this phase of economic meltdown, and perhaps, hopefully, they would recognize that they are the proletariat.



I feel really sorry for the executives of AIG and their families, why shouldn't they get bonuses, they've done a great job running their company.

Turning the whole economy into a downward trajectory was indeed a great job. For that they should get immediate bonuses in the form of immediate transfer to hell.

When AIG announced bonuses for their top executives, it was like the rich openly mocking at the poor and the tax-payer, and saying "Okay, our work of creating the mess is over, now lets get the money and go for a holiday".

[taytaz]

The executives of the big corporations that have been exploiting the working classes for the 60 or so years since the last world war have finally reached the end of the road, and received their comeuppence (sp?). Though since the west allowed the capitalist mantra to spread freely, and the propaganda has painted anything other than pure capitalism as a dictatorial regime, other systems have not been able to shine.

The large scale support of deregulation and such has allowed the capitalist system to be 'successful' if such a term can be applied to the deeply inequal system of today. Those employees that have been convinced that they are being paid fairly have been lulled into a sense of empowerment with their shiny cars and other products of consumerism.

Finally the illusion has fallen down and the true face of the current, deeply flawed system can be seen. The workers who beleived that they were being treated fairly will realise they've been 'played' and those that suffered even under this recent time of 'prosperity' should be driven to re-embrace the Worker's struggle and make realy progress.

This protest is just the start of something that could actually work, an actual stand against the workings of society that are obviously deeply flawed, inequal and, as a result of it's exploitation, bound to eventually fail, as can be seen right now in the GFC.