Let's take the example of Dick Grasso and his hundred plus million bonus for running the NY Stock Exchange. Now, I doubt Mr. Grasso hates the poor, but I bet he's afraid of them (us).

Just what did Mr. Grasso do to earn all that bonus money? Anything? Or was he, as has been stated, in the right place at the right time? What if those who actually do the grunt work of keeping the NYSE running had failed at their jobs? Would Mr. Grasso have been *penalized* a hundred plus million?

We all know the answer to that. Even failing CEOs get bonuses. It's a racket.

Remembering back to the 1960s, we got the Great Society from LBJ. Why?

Well, there was rioting in the streets. I bet fear caused more social welfare legislation to be made.

I understand the arguments about taking responsibility for your own lot in life, and I subscribe to that philosophy. But I am also quite aware of how the rich have a little monarchy of their own and keep the big bucks within their circles.

So at what point do the poor rise up and take heads?

It has happened before, you know. Our history is shot full of worker rebellions and counter attacks, riots in the streets, political turnovers. So fear is a rational reaction within the rich for the poor.

Another side to this is self-image. I suspect that deep down, Mr. Grasso knows he is a phoney and doesn't deserve a hundred thousand for his work, let alone millions. After all, he only has 24 hours in a day like the rest of us, and does he really think his wheeling and dealing made the NYSE a success? And just how is this success measured? Well, it's done by those wheelers and dealers out on the golf courses with Mr. Grasso. But when it comes to objectivity, any NYSE success is accomplished by those below Mr. Grasso.

So what we have is the good old boy/girl system of enormous rewards while many of us struggle to make a buck in an economy that can't create jobs for us. But it seems to do very well for the inner circles.

I think there is a great deal to fear. Hopefully, the next round of rebalancing the fly wheel will be done through peaceful political means.