BUSINESS

Greed Is Good?

We asked the creator of the 1980s film 'Wall Street' to evaluate today's villains.

By Kurt Soller | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Mar 26, 2009

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  • Posted By: Observerguy @ 03/28/2009 3:06:52 PM

    Greed is so very simple. It is placing material gain for "me and mine" above other values and operationalizing this valuation in one's life. As such "greed" is always harmful -- first to the greed-monger and those closest to him, and, second, if the monger is in a position of influence, to others (with the scope of harm increasing proportionately to the degree of influence). Madoff is absolutely no different in this respect from any profiteer (i.e., euphemized "monger"). Madoff's greed-mongering simply broke the monger community's rules (i.e., "laws" established to protect mongers from one another) and harmed too may other mongers of influence, harming their "me and mine" (with the latter being far more damaging to him than the former).

  • Posted By: russpoter1 @ 03/28/2009 1:26:48 PM

    When talking about Harry Markopolous -- would someone PLEASE remember the highly-probative feature that "Barron's" did on Madoff in 2001?

    http://online.barrons.com/article/SB122973813073623485.html?mod=wsj_forward

    That was laughed off by Madoff's dupes? Thanks.

  • Posted By: Hardyman1966 @ 03/26/2009 9:51:05 PM

    Charlie Sheen's character is the epitome of most of the loan officers/brokers I had to underwrite for here in San Diego. I'm not saying they were all bad, but there were a boatload who got into the mortgage or real estate business only in the past few years with little understanding of the process other than the commission they would generate. Greed took over like heroin and the BMW's and S500's were bought. These people deliberately set borrowers up to fail selling them the worst loans and doctoring the applications for an approval. The good news is, many of them lost everything as easily as it came to them and have to start over doing something else.

    The bad news is, these are the same people who are now jumping on the loan modification bandwagon to screw over these borrowers a 2nd time for commission once again.

  • Posted By: Dragonheartxp @ 03/26/2009 9:50:10 PM

    We are building a House of Cards and at one point it will all fall down

  • Posted By: yyba1 @ 03/26/2009 8:48:01 PM

    The opposite of Gecko is one who grows to become a spiritual leader, with science and technology knowledge that produces a SOLUTION to the world economic collapse. When discovered and "branded" he becomes more recognized and accepted globally than Obama. Why? It's really simple. Obama spin bubblles and branding gained "acceptance" which is "soft power." The goal was to translate this into "acceptance" since this is "hard power" as the polls. When a spiritual leader gains "acceptance" this soft power is "trust." And when its translated into "acceptance" this hard power becomes a movement of human ascent, sustained by individuals faith in God and themselves. This ascent transforms identity and makes INHABITABLE the new reality of man's sustained cognitive ascent. This leadership is now emerging from Jerusalem and its already changing the world. And this is what is realy worth writing about and learning.
    Tky, YYBA

  • Posted By: norsmcnors @ 03/26/2009 7:30:30 PM

    helps to know how to spell before you write an article about Gordon Gekko.

  • Posted By: norsmcnors @ 03/26/2009 7:28:21 PM

    It'd be awesome if 1- you stopped being so liberal
    2- learned how to spell GORDON GEKKO'S NAME RIGHT!

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