Billionaire’s Benchmark Lunches Predict Doom and Gloom

This unpretentious group of biblically-honest businessmen (and women) share a love and appreciation for business ethics and the common good of all men. As Mr. Wien states, "net worth does not always connote wisdom, they all have strong opinions and aren’t afraid to voice them."

Would it surprise anyone to learn that doom, gloom, and kvetching about the Obama administration dominated the conversation? No, I suspect not. 

 In his article entitled Market Commentary, Mr. Wien writes: “the group was gloomy on the outlook despite the comfort of the surroundings. They saw the United States in a long-term slow growth environment with the near-term risk of recession quite real. The Obama administration was viewed as hostile to business and that discouraged both hiring and investment.”

Overall there was a feeling that to bring about the profound changes that were needed a major crisis would have to occur.

Profound changes like ... Every one of these diabolical Shylocks forsaking their greed and avarice and actually helping make this country a better place for everyone and not just for those select few at the tippy top?

And, when they speak of "a major crisis" are they referring to the global economic meltdown that THEY helped cause? 

Mr. Wein went on to suggest that these billionaires were doing nothing more than expressing the exact same grievances that "ordinary" Americans are screaming about on FOX News. That somehow these men and women had their Midas fingers on the pulse of our country.

The only grievances they have relate to market reforms that will make it more difficult for them to lie, steal, cheat, and game the system. And, the only pulse they have a cold-blooded finger on is a vampire nature that feeds an insatiable self-interest.

The unbelievable hypocrisy and lack of personal responsibility evident in Mr. Wein's column is striking.

He states, "The problems we are facing have been coming for a long time and they will not be solved quickly because so many of them are structural. Our political system is broken, our education system is falling behind and slow to respond to constructive ideas, and our infrastructure is pathetic." 

He goes on to say, "Not enough good people are going into government and those who want to are daunted by the screening process and the exposure. Negative campaigns are showing up everywhere and they seem to work, which is discouraging."

I think it is safe to assume that none, not one, of the billionaires seated around the table had anything to do with any of these realities. They are all angelic billionaires who would never fund radical political movements or conservative think tanks or any organization that would create a political attack ad. They'd never bribe a politician or attempt to affect policy for the good of their golden parachutes. They would never skirt environmental laws or hedge a bet on the housing market. No, these are the good billionaires. So good, in fact, that "Beck" is a four-letter word. 

He also reports that the group agreed the real reason companies and entrepreneurs didn’t want to hire was due to uncertain health-care costs and taxes. Not that any of them took a pay cut during the recession in order to free up funds to hire needed help. 

However they attained their wealth, the fact remains that relying on these people to provide guidance during a poor economy is akin to letting the fox guard the hen house. They will do whatever they have to do to sustain their fortunes damn the regulations. 

These billionaires don't speak for anyone but themselves.