老美看美國：資本主義死了！

股票市場得救了，資本主義死了！

作者：羅傑    (October 13, 2008)       譯者： 丹奇

過去六個月我們已經看到我們的經濟發生了翻天覆地的變化。資本主義世界的「聖杯」（紐約證券交易所）及其共生的自由市場變成了人類歷史上最大的社會主義行為。所有這一切就發生在世界上最大的資本主義經濟（或其他此類經濟）的老巢 --美利堅合眾國！

為何華爾街今天如此高興（2008年10月13日星期一）？喔，考慮到上個星期是股票市場歷史上最糟糕的一個星期，總共損失了市值三萬億美元（對，是「萬億」）。在周末，這些「自由世界」經濟的領袖們在華盛頓首府相會。歐盟決定對他們的銀行系統注入兩萬三千億美元---華爾街總算有點什麼值得慶賀的事情。政府已準備贖他們出來---用勞動階級的錢包和肩膀。

現在，我覺得不僅僅是有點諷刺意味了。歸根結底，正是這幫「華爾街」人多年來述說我們應該對有需要人們的開支進行削減：教育計劃，就業計劃，以及對那些沒有保險的人們，尤其是孩童提供的健保計劃方面。「讓自由市場自我調節」是他們叫囂的口號。對華爾街富翁們來說，社會主義和政府救市的事只會發生在別人身上。當要求他們「投降「時，他們借口說經濟狀況良好。多麼諷刺！難道不正是這幫華爾街人群一開始就搞得一團糟嗎？ 現在他們把整個美國和歐洲的銀行系統整垮了，把亞洲置於比1998年金融風暴更大的壓力下，卻來搖尾乞憐，要求特殊待遇？不但是特殊待遇，而且是提出了任何地方歷史上最大的「救救我」的要求！就在昨天，十月十二日星期天，一家日本銀行為摩根斯坦利注入了九十億美元來保住它不倒閉。摩根斯坦利拿著這筆錢幹啥？他們準備把比他們更小的競爭者買下來，以減少玩家。然後他們要幹什麼？然後他們就可以更容易地把手伸到我們的后袋裡。因為現在競爭對手減少了。有些人永遠也不會吸取教訓。

我有萬千個理由反對救市。但最主要的理由是救贖這麼多溺水的人，最後救人者由於疲勞自己也會溺水。美國勞動階級就像你從未看見過的汽車上的部件。正是汽車部件使汽車能跑動。汽車可以看上去很亮堂，很新，但如果你從來沒有給汽車換過機油，灌滿汽油，它就不會動彈。我們已經沒有汽油了。你看不見的部件（工人階級）經過長時間的過多的負荷已經生鏽並不會動彈了。（十萬億國債以及過去三十年一直追趕不過通貨膨脹的工資）。現在，汽車需要全面的檢修（社會主義制度改革，政府注資和市場干預）這樣這輛閃閃發光的車子才能開的動。

股票市場和銀行可能已經得救了。華爾街的傢伙們可以保住他們的飯碗和在漢普頓的大房子了。但是，資本主義死了----死於自己的手中。自殺，由於貪婪。

列寧曾經說過，「我們可以賣給資本家上吊用的繩子」。他可謂千真萬確。我們自己製作了這根繩子。（完）

(譯者註：作者為譯者美國夫婿，浸淫美國金融市場二十多年的經濟學專家，對美國的現狀痛心不已）

英語原文：

THE STOCK MARKET WAS SAVED

BUT CAPITALISM DIED

                                Roger S. (October 13, 2008)

What a turn of events in the past 6 months we have seen in our economy. The holy grail of the capitalistic world ( the New York Stock Exchange ) and its commensurate free market has been turned into the largest socialistic action in the history of the human race and it all happened in the home of the largest capitalistic economy ( or any other economy for that matter ) in the world – the UNITED STATES !

Why is Wall Street so happy today ( Monday October 13, 2008 )? Well, considering that last week was the worst in the history of the stock market with a total loss of value of nearly $3 Trillion ( yes, Trillian with a T ) in market value and over the weekend the leaders of the 「free world」 economies met in Washington D.C. and the European Union decided to inject up to $2.3 Trillion U.S. dollars into their banking system – Wall Street had something to finally cheer about. The governments were going to bail them out – on the backs and wallets of the working class.

Now, I find this more than a little ironic. After all, it』s the 「Wall Street」 crowd that for years has said we should cut back spending on people in need, on education, on jobs programs, health care programs for the uninsured and health care for children specifically. 「The free markets work well when left alone」 was their battle cry. For the 「rich」 crowd on Wall Street socialism or government bailouts is something that happens to other people. When it』s them that needs a 「hand up」 it』s sound economic policy, they reason. How ironic. Isn』t it the 「Wall Street」 crowd that made this mess in the first place? And now that they』ve so messed up the entire banking system in the U.S. and Europe and put strain on Asia greater than the 1998 financial problems they come with their hat in hand begging for special deals? Not just special deals but the largest 「help me out」 request in history, anywhere ! Just yesterday, Sunday October 12th, a Japanese bank injected $9billion into Morgan Stanley to keep them from failing. What』s Morgan Stanley going to do with the money? Their going to buy their smaller competitors to reduce the playing field so they can do what? So they can get in our back pocket again easier than before because now the competition is reduced. Some people never learned.

I was against the bailout for a myriad of reasons but mostly because saving so many  drowning people will ultimately make the rescuer tired and he too eventually shall drown. The working class in America is like the parts of a car that you never see. It』s the part of the car that makes it run. The car can look new and shiny, but if you haven』t changed the oil and kept gas in it the car won』t go. We』ve run out of gas and the parts you don』t see ( the working class )  have become rusted and worn down from too many burdens over time ( $10Trillion national debt and wages that haven』t kept up with inflation in the past 30 years ) and now the car needs a complete overhaul ( socialistic regulatory reform and government injection and intervention in the markets ) so that shiny car will work again.

The Stock Exchange and the banks may have been saved. The Wall Street guys will keep their jobs and big houses in the Hamptons. But, Capitalism died – and it died by its own hand. Suicide, by greed.

Lenin once said 「we will sell the capitalist the rope with which to hang them」. He was almost right. We made the rope ourselves.