O'reilly? Shouldn't even been offered a job

[Nemmerle]

Well I've looked through O'reilly's video and I can't see him saying anything of the sort, do you have a link so I can verify this?

[Razgriz1928]

+ YouTube Video

I believe that Bill did get carried away, and the fact that he cut off Barney a number of times, can undermine his credibility and open him for attack, but Barney Frank didn't have an answer anyway. If he wanted an answer he could have given it and just dispelled Bills attack, but instead he called Bill "retarded" and "stupid".

[Nemmerle]

Oh that one. In that case: No, no he did not.

I've typed out what he said from the clip O'reilly showed since we seem to be taking that as the standard of truth around here.

Opinion statement: 'I think this is a case where Fannie and Freddie are fundamentally sound, that they are not in danger of going under.'

Factual statement: 'They're not the best investment these days from the long term standpoint going back.'

Opinion statement: 'I think they're in good shape going forward,'

Factual statement: 'This is they're in the housing market.'

Opinion statement: 'I do think their prospects going forward are very solid'

Factual statement: 'and in fact we're going to do some things that are going to improve them.'

So let's just throw the facts down here and see what he's actually said is going to happen

Fact statement: 'They're not the best investment these days from the long term standpoint going back.'

Factual statement: 'This is they're in the housing market.'

Factual statement: 'and in fact we're going to do some things that are going to improve [their prospects].'

Nowhere in their does he say anything is going to happen to the stock one way or another. His only factual statement with regards to investment advice is, 'They're not the best investment these days.'

Anyone who see's that and goes, 'He's said stocks are going to go up, hehehe,' while their brains figuratively dribble out of their nose deserves to lose everything they invest and be charged an idiot tax on top of that simply because they can't understand basic English.

[Metall_pingwin]

They both failed in this one, Bill being his usual self, and Barney avoiding any real answer. I do think that it's ridiculous to blame the guy for anything though. It was his opinion and nothing more, people losing money in the stock market on bad investments is nothing new, why are they blaiming him now.

Edit, looks like I'm a bit late. Nem's response was better anyway.

[Razgriz1928]

Originally Posted by Nemmerle

Opinion statement: 'I think they're in good shape going forward,'

Opinion statement: 'I do think their prospects going forward are very solid'


Nowhere in their does he say anything is going to happen to the stock one way or another. His only factual statement with regards to investment advice is, 'They're not the best investment these days.'

Anyone who see's that and goes, 'He's said stocks are going to go up, hehehe,' while their brains figuratively dribble out of their nose deserves to lose everything they invest and be charged an idiot tax on top of that simply because they can't understand basic English.

Barney still gave his opinion and confidence that going forward, it would be solid, and people trusted him on these facts. It doesn't matter wether he was being factual or fiction, he still gave people advice that cost them money and he was wrong.

[Metall_pingwin]

I would differentiate between giving advice, and stating opinion. Only one of which Barney did. The people who lost money are the only ones to blame for their ultimate choices. While Barney could have apologized, It should not be expected of him.

[Nemmerle]

Originally Posted by Razgriz1928

In July 2008, Barney Frank stated that they might not be the best investment, but moving forward, which is what the stock market is all about, he said they would be solid. With this information, people bought the stock and lost alot of money. All he had to do was appologize, and he wouldn't just man up and say "sorry"

He did not say that they would be solid he said he thought that they would. The former you have to apologise for, the latter is an opinion, you don’t have to apologise for holding an opinion, especially when you go to the bother to make a factual statement that people shouldn’t be following a certain course of action - people choose to take an opinion for what it's worth and that's their look out.

[Razgriz1928]

You do prove a good point Nemmerle. But its still my opinion that all he had to do was say

"I'm sorry if people lost money on this investment, but it was merley my opinion and I did not state fullheartly to invest"

Instead he resulted to childish acts of calling Bill names.

I have to agree with Metall_pingwin, both were at fault here.

[Nemmerle]

Bill did misrepresent the truth - either through stupidity, the more charitable assumption, or through malice - now the second one is deformation of character and is as far as I'm aware illegal in the US. The congressman could perhaps have presented his case better but honestly when you’re arguing with someone who is lying about what you’ve said, on national TV, it must be pretty hard to keep your cool - that he lasted so long without calling Bill on his BS is to be comended of itself.

[Jeffro]

Originally Posted by AlDaja

Ah yes…the seeds of fascism – silence those whom we disagree.

No, silence the puerile douchebags that ruin everything good in this goddamn world. Though that will never happen considering they will always have an audience that is just as puerile as the pundits. People will always be roped into to stupid bullshit and they will believe every word of it.

Failing species we are.

Originally Posted by Razgriz

I believe that Bill did get carried away, and the fact that he cut off Barney a number of times, can undermine his credibility and open him for attack, but Barney Frank didn't have an answer anyway. If he wanted an answer he could have given it and just dispelled Bills attack, but instead he called Bill "retarded" and "stupid".

That's because he is retarded and stupid. He's a turd that needs to be flushed down the toilet.

Instead he resulted to childish acts of calling Bill names.

Does anybody have a black pot and kettle? Black pot and kettle, anyone...