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The finance industry has effectively captured the U.S. government-a state of affairs that more typically describes emerging markets...Recovery will fail unless we break the financial oligarchy that's blocking essential reform.

Sold Out~How Wall Street & Washington Betrayed America

Our society may simply disintegrate if the rich win the battle in Congress. The top 1% of the national income strata, having bought up just about all depreciating assets at bargain basement prices, will have increased its portion of total national marketable wealth from about half of it to all of it. This is not a desirable situation at all.

These days America is looking like the Bernie Madoff of economies: for many years it was held in respect, even awe, but it turns out to have been a fraud all along.

CEOs and others at the top of the corporate ladder engaging in rampant-though often legal-corruption to improve the bottom line and line their own pockets. They gamble with relative abandon on the chance for that "one big one," that "perfect kill." Unfortunately, they're gambling with your money and mine -- without our knowledge or permission.

A new aristocracy is reaping huge unearned gains from our collective intellectual wealth. Our celebrated entrepreneurs and money men are hoisting a cherry to the top of an already existing sundae-and then laying claim to the entire ice cream parlor. Knowledge is the primary source of our national wealth, with or without the elites at the top who claim the lion's share.