Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Paper Shufflers

I wrote this over a year ago SJG.

They shuffle their paper around the world
Betting on commodities, “free market” banners unfurled
Speculating on food to make a profit
While the poor go hungry and starve because of it

Boosting the prices in many a nation
This is the game of commodities speculation
Fortunes are made in the wink of an eye
And the price of rice goes sky high

The “free marketers” in food are making a killing
People are dying, while the speculators are living
These financial vultures in their luxury office towers
Are “money managers.” Oh what a shower!

No sweat, no labour: These are societies non-producers
Manipulating currencies and betting on futures
These are the rich and the present day “street people.”
In the French revolution they hanged them from a steeple

But that was in the time of barbarism
Now we call it capitalism
“Let the marketplace decide,” they cry
And if there are losses the taxpayers are standing by

The peoples taxes will bail out any losses
And huge salaries are paid to the financial bosses
These are the new rulers of all they survey
And their motto is: “Make the people pay.”


For financial manipulation is “honest toil?”
And they keep betting up the price of oil
The people will have to learn to survive they say
For this is the paper shufflers day

Stephen J. Gray
June 8, 2008.