Shameless—Executive Greed and the Economic Crash

Music video commentary on executive piracy in America's political and economic system: A new, biting lyric and performance to the tune of The Neville Brothers' anthemic hit, "Fearless."

The current economic meltdown that began in 2008 has robbed me, and thousands of others, of our jobs as well as the money we had "invested" to create nest eggs for retirement and college expenses for our kids. Over my 25-year career, my family has suffered through at least one outrageous business scam per decade—the savings & loan debacle of the '80s, the dot com bubble of the '90s, and now this. In each case, certain types of executives who rig the game have made out like bandits. These people are practicing piracy, not capitalism. They are betraying every noble principle America is supposed to represent to the world. And they'll continue to do it, as long as we let them. My this time be the last...at least during our lifetimes.

Credits:

The music is based on a tune by The Neville Brothers, "Fearless" from the album "Brother's Keeper." Buy their music; support their art. They're the real thing.

Ji Lee created the photo illustration of the dead Wall Street bull at the beginning of the video. I don't know him/her, but the illustration is a freaking brilliant summation—a visual haiku.

It's overlaid with video (crime scene) from my (purchased) Artbeats royalty-free collection. (Various other Artbeats clips from my collection are used throughout).

I don't know who created the opening graphic, "Economic Emergency." (If it's you, I hope you don't mind my using it here in this way.)

Cartoon "Soak the Taxpayer" is by Matt Wuerker, from the cover of "Executive Excess 2008," a publication of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS-DC.ORG). Don't go another day without consulting their research — especially if you're working for a mega-corporation.

The cartoon "Shark Lawyers" is copyright 1999 by John S. Pritchett.

Various still photos are royalty-free acquisitions from photos.com.

The poster "You Write What You're Told" is brilliant—and I don't know who created it.

I don't know who created the "Monster Graph" illustration either. Ditto the illustration of "Beat Up Uncle Sam."

Everything else, I found here on Youtube. Video footage from various news organizations are identified by watermarks. Lots of it was taken from Anderson Cooper's series "Culprits of the Collapse."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• economy
• executive
• greed
• scam
• excess
• foreclosure
• economic
• crisis
• collapse
• subprime
• bank
• failure
• white collar crime
• Bernard Madoff
• Wall Street
• Lehman Brothers
• AIG
• Countrywide
• business
• Ponzi

[tedfreeway]

Bankers need a powerful federal government to get away with their theft. If we let bankers suffer the consequences of their risk-taking, they'd probably stop taking quite so many.

[traingp7]

Madoff only ripped off rich people with his ponzi scheme. I like the fact that a rich jew ripped off other rich Jews like Steven Speilberg.

[NewDescartes]

When are people going to realize that money doesn't buy happiness. Studies have shown this to be absolutely true, rich people are not happier than average folks.

Screw money!

[alcoursey]

Incisive and bitterly funny. Great lyrics. Bravo.

[eyelipson]

Shameless indeed!

Get yer hand out of my pocket.

Very fine song & video.

Especially like the final vocal....yow!!!!