Sunday, March 16, 2014

Tom Steyer

Quite the catch. 


Exeter, Yale, Summa Cum Laude Economics and Political Science Phi Beta Kappa and Wolf's Head Society. Captain of Yale soccer team MBA Stanford business, Arjay Miller Scholar

Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Hellman & Friedman.

Founded Farallon Capital, headquartered S.F. engineered "absolute return" investments spread so profit no matter what happens.

Stepped down to focus on political activism. He's tried all his life to organize a 'business voice for advanced energy and he wants to "focus on how to find a way to move the needle in some way having to do with thought or policy. And I don't know what shape that's going to take" 

Successful person, wants to do good. Made billions. Gives millions. Now gives millions to political causes. 

This is what drives the right insane. They are all for advanced energy as you know but against government picking winners and losers. Too much room for graft. Invites graft. But Tom Steyer, billionaire, wants to do good things. He is frankly, obsessed. He will use his talents which are considerable and his connections and his money to bring this about. He knows his best shot is to involve government. To use public money in his personal/public obsession to parlay his personal wealth into government programs that he cannot do by himself before he leaves this Earth. His best shot at government is by Democrat Party not Republican Party so he hooks up with Democrats and now holds court in Senate all-night session on global warming. This drives the right insane. 

If you're care to, here's how they talk:  


I didn't read that. I know what it says, that was recapped,  I think what it didn't say is more important. 

Here's the thing. We know Tom, I'll call Mr. Styer Tom, since he wants to use all our money for his obsession and it seems he really doesn't care what form that takes as long as it "moves the needle"  "in thought or in policy" those are fairly vague goals for a number man, don't you think? Can Tom be more specific than that? You don't make billion dollars by being clever and hold ill defined goals such as these 

I don't buy it.

He wants to change government. Permanently. To advance his cause of environmentalism. Forever. He offers vague goals and a whole lot of money. To Democrats. He is distorting our political system with his money, he has plans, clear plans and he offers us agreeable innocent anodyne vagueness.  

With those vague goals I can proclaim them already achieved, Tom Steyer, the needle has already moved and your money and your graft and your personal influence on Democrat politicians has already affected thought and already affected policy. Well done!

So now I move to what caught my attention about this thing in the first place.I sent this post in an email to friends and I was told to post it. So I am. Apologies if this shocks you but it how I talk to my friends. We take a nasty turn to depravity after the dealio.




Because here's the part of all this that kills me, I mean kills me all over the place. 

Here is the comment section of another site. It's Insty comment section. The comments give the best insight. They're better than the article that simply linked without comment, actually.  So that's what I'm reading. Apparently all readers there are aware of who Tom Steyer is, they know how outstanding his CV. I mean, come on, the guy did well for himself. There is no denying that. You cannot say he is stupid, you cannot say he is an ideologue, you cannot say from what is presented he is particularly partisan, but you can say he is exceedingly clever and you can say he picked the Democratic Party to advance his obsession. And you can say he wants to use everybody's money through government to achieve his aims whatever they really are beyond the vagueness he offers.  And that is why a guy like Tom Steyer, and others like him, drive people on the right absolutely nuts. Commenters there are usually reasonable, knowledgeable too, conservative by nature, in thought, politics and in speech, but things like this cause them occasionally  to come out of character with comments like, 

This kills me: 
"Only Tom Steyer can tell us what it's like to have his **** sucked all night long by 28 different people."
ORLY?  Why 28? Is it February?  I thought that was it. Just that one oddball remark. Oh, boy. Everybody else was reasonable, then this guy, it sticks out with a bizarre sexualization. I thought that would be it. But no, a rejoinder. 
"Trust me, he aint the only one, you got the the money, there are at least 536 people ready to kneel and suck."  
?  How one for each day makes sense eludes me but the point is taken. No wait, that's 356. No wait, 364. 365 Whatever. And it is a wrong point, both are thoroughly wrong. It does not take money for that. 

Even as I read that and confusion splits off about it appearing like that so out of place among normal analysis in a normal place, a grin appeared on my face and grew beyond my facial muscular capacity to form one, that I somehow displayed 4X more teeth than I posses until my whole face became all grin.


For my mind was suddenly flooded with stories. Real ones. Episodes. Stories that were heard. Stories that were lived.

The remark and the retort to it blew my mind. For being so wrong. Politically, economically, socially, wrong. The  two odd commenters must respect the man for what he accomplished and we see they do but they process all that information with the  conflicting values those thought evoke, the resentments they feel for having accomplished so little, and him so much by comparison, the humiliation of that comparison, his using government in ways they cannot even think of, the cleverness that is beyond them, the snapping of fuses that occurs and short circuiting is apparent in processing all that as sexual prowess. And passive prowess at that. All he has to do is stand there and (women?) are ready to blow him. They think like that. And then post a comment so revealing of their own psychology. Of all the things to say, observations to make, that is the thing that comes out.  (The other comments are more rational, this one is not characteristic at all. It sticks out. It got me.) 

I fought back the impulse to remark there are kids all around who view that a slow weekend. Not really, but those two can can deliver facile hyperbole unchallenged so can I. 

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Forget the sex, it's true. The democrats provided the feel good oratory and sucking-up the billionaire is seeking.

Michael Haz said...

The two comments? Non-billionaire jealousy.

Or maybe anger because if you have enough money to give to politicians you can buy taxpayer money, money paid by regular working stiffs who can't get a break these days.

No one cares what Steyer does with his money because its...his money. If he wants to invent electrocosmic power systems, or a better licorice, or shelters for homeless puppies or whatever, then he should do just that WITH HIS OWN DAMN MONEY. What angers people is that he wants us schlubs to pay for his ideas. He ought to piss off with that idea.

virgil xenophon said...

April is right, Chip. I would add that I find most people who go into finance are actually apolitical, not conservative per se, so that, without a philosophical foundation upon which to justify their success, they are often embarrassed by it and thus lured by the glib blandishments of the left as a way to expiate their "sins" in much the same manner whites driven by "white guilt" used a vote for Obama to do the same. Throw in the fact that a lot of really smart people don't know much outside their narrow field of expertise to explain his obsession with (and ignorance about) "climate change" (a hoax the MSM has swallowed hook, line, and sinker because it enables their pink/red fantasies of social control) because the leftist MSM allows only one side of the argument to be presented.

PS: And using OPM (Other Peoples Money) comes second nature to financial types...yet another leftist allure..

Unknown said...

I nominate Haz and his comment for Comment of the Year.

Unknown said...

I nominate Virgil for runner up.
Excellent.

Now that the ACA is law, The left see climate change as the last stand for graft.

Every time you hear the words "climate change" - understand fully the left want to tax the shit out of ordinary citizens so that the left can consolidate their wealth and power. The democrats do not give a damn about the environment. Like the tired and phony "it's for the children" - they hide behind it and they manipulate us to further their power-lust thru guilt and bad politicized non-science.

DADvocate said...

The 536 is probably a reference to the number of Senator + Congressmen + one (President Obama, VP Biden - who is president of the senate, or some such person).

Steyer's money would be much better spent in the private sector where he could directly and much more efficiently finance research into viable alternative energy sources. Now his money will be wasted on election campaigns and draconian lawmaking.

I'm continually amazed how people who achieve great success in one arena assume they have become experts on everything and can do anything.

DADvocate said...

When it comes to climate change, the Chicken Littles seem to be saying they can control the climate and keep it from changing. This is complete hogwash. The climate has always changed and will always change.

Fighting pollution is great. But, I guess it doesn't have the reach the power mongers want. Plus, we've had tremendous success fighting pollution. That won't give them the excuse they need to lord over us.

bagoh20 said...

Being blessed with success and means gives you the opportunity to make change, to have an impact, to make things better. If you look for where there is need, you will never run out of challenges and opportunities to do good. If you choose to dominate, control and dictate other peoples lives and dreams, then you have turned your blessings to shit and have thrown away your rare opportunity. You would do more good enjoying and paying for the blow jobs.

bagoh20 said...

In the modern world with relationships being so optional, can two people who are really different on big issues actually make it work? Can a powerful emotional attraction and just raw desire to be with a particular person overcome differences in politics, belief systems, and intellectual values?

How does that James Carville and Mary Matalin thing work?

ricpic said...

He's gonna kill all that dirty industry that employs all those benighted bitter clingers. YAY TOM!!!

Aridog said...

I have to agree with Haz's initial remark and the rest of you all following up so far....

Here is Google's lead page on Mr Steyr's firm (of which he has now sold off his share):

Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. is an American global investment firm that manages capital on behalf of institutions and individuals. The firm was founded by Tom Steyer in 1986.

No one is surprised he prefers using other people's money for his activities? It is his primary skill, and done very well, he deserves credit for his success. Money management requires the effort be organized and he was apparently one of the best.

Now he merely wants to fulfill his hubris by "investing" in politicians for a grand "return" on said investments in the form of federal (your money, wihout vesting however) expenditures.

Do the math, 535+1 "customers" to "please" with $$ aid, versus dealing with 300+ Million proles?

deborah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael Haz said...

Thanks April and Aridog.

deborah said...

As it was and ever shall be.

lemondog said...

Battle of the billionaires or Kabuki theater?

Clinton Keystone-Pipeline Dodge Causes Donors to Rethink Support

The relaxation of campaign finance laws in recent years has emboldened them. Farallon Capital Management founder Tom Steyer has pledged to pump $100 million -- half from his own pocket and the other half from allies -- into the 2014 mid-term elections to reward politicians who oppose Keystone and seek to limit use of fossil fuels, and punish those who don’t.

Warren Buffett: 'The Keystone Pipeline Is A Good Idea For The Country'

rcocean said...

When you're talking about Billionaires 9/10 its not "Their" money its "our" money.

They've gotten their billions through sweetheart deals, bribing congress for favorable legislation or regulations, or getting some tax break no one else gets.

Or screwing over the stockholders or bondholders, or setting up some quasi-monopoly.

Unlike some, I don't worship Billionaires, and given that all the taxes I'm paying, I think they should pay a much bigger share.

rcocean said...

How many times has Trump gone Bankrupt, and how many times have the shareholders/Bondholders in his ventures been screwed over, yet he's worshiped as some kind of "Great Businessman".