How in the world did people get by before "wall street" ?

They actually had to work to make their fortunes. My god, remember the days when we used to actually make things by hand in this country?? Those were the days!

The Stock Market began as just a hand full of stock brokers who used to meet under a tree in New York to 'exchange stocks' in an area called Wall St. It, like most great things in America, is the product of private enterprise.

The stock exchange is an important part of the Capitalist/Free Enterprise system. It is how businesses who wish to participate can raise capital and how investors can purchase shares in those companies to share in the profits.

The Stock Exchange along with Capitalism and Free Enterprise have generated all the wealth that this country enjoys. All of it. The Government has no wealth and produces no wealth. All the money the Government spends or "redistributes" it must first take from the producers or borrow on the producers good credit.

I do not know what you mean by 'earn their keep'. If you are referring to a few corrupt CEO's do not forget, there are tens of thousands of companies listed on the various Stock Exchanges. Do not paint them all with the excesses of a relative few.

Besides, the problems we are now faced with are as deep and as extreme as they are due to interferrance of the Federal Government. The problem is two fold. First, the Federal Government puts so many regulations, restrictions and taxes on businesses that they can no longer solve the problems they face. Then the Government claims that the Free Enterprise system does not work and the Government has to take over. Second, the Government takes far too much of the money out of the private sector and squanders it.

The problems in the banking system are the direct fault of government intervention forcing mortgage companies to make loans to non-creditworthy people and then by being asleep at the regulatory switch. Everyone was investing in those banks because the Federal Regulators kept giving them a clean bill of health. Investors would have been way more hesitant if the Feds did not sweart these investments were solid when they clearly were not.

Do not attempt to blame any of this mess on private industry. Private industry is the prosperity generator that makes everything else possible.

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Wall street isnt about gambling primarily. Its about investment. The people who try to use wall st. as a gambling tool eventually end up losing. My friend is a great example of that. But if you use a portfolio in an actual investment strategy over time, the market makes you money. But its money that you have to be willing to wait 20-30 years for and invest slowly over time.

Before markets we were barbarians in Europe.

Yes, to a great extent it was survival of the fittest. There were some private individuals who would lend out money to others. Some were nice and would not charge interest to their friends. Others were greedy and charged enormous fees.

And then there were those who would group together and start a business. Some would make their money in one way, such as trapping, and then open a general store.

You are blaming all for the sins of the few.

What an easy way to get through life.

Why not find out what people really do for a living?

You really sound like Maximilien Robespierre.

Wall street is for the upper crust, us bottom dwellers just work, pay rent, by food, pay parking tickets, get out lights turned off, normal stuff. I don't pay any attention to all the wall street talk. I look at it as sort of a Oh, look over here, don't pay attention to my hand in your pocket, thing

Do people who invest their retirements into the market not work for the money they "gambled"? Interesting take.

No difference. They invested into enterprises they thought would make them money. Wall St is just a place where buying and selling occurs, and not the only one..

Apparently they couldn't determine a President's popularity.

The Dutch had the great Tulip bubble. What a hoot that was.