The Rich

This might be the single most masterfully written piece of preeminence these eyes of have ever seen.

Then again, it could be satire. But my very inability to decide whether this is the author's real opinion or not makes the true nature of the author's intent sort of irrelevant.

Lessons that Michael Lewis has learned from the subprime mortgage fiasco.

1) The poor are "masters of public relations."

2) "Poor people don't respect other people's money in the way money deserves to be respected."

3) He has "grown out of touch with `poor culture.'"

[This point is really beautiful. Lewis wonders--in a public forum, mind you--if his distance from 'poor culture' began when he "stopped flying commercial" or when he "gave up the bleacher seats and got the suite." Yes, we all feel very sorry for you and the downturn the market has taken.]

4) "Our society is really, really hostile to success. At the same time it's shockingly indulgent of poor people."

[In this point, Lewis strains to veer his column away from farce. He proposes a 'solution' to the problem: give the poor work. "Some of these poor people must have skills. The ones that don't could be trained to do some of the less skilled labor -- say, working as clowns at rich kids' birthday parties."]

5) "I think it's time we all become more realistic about letting the poor anywhere near Wall Street."

Via Feministe!