And many retirees, mutual funds, and city governments who bought these bonds with assurances of Goldman sales people were badly hurt.

Goldman Sachs also was a large purchaser of credit default swaps (CDSs), many from AIG. Representatives from Goldman placed pressure on Hank Paulson for government bailout funds for AIG. And where did billions of those bailout funds go? To pay off Goldman!

And we the taxpayers are picking up the tab.

Goldman Sachs developed computer algorithms for high frequency trading. As such, they insert themselves in rising or falling stocks, buying and selling with lightening speed and making huge profits.

As a result, the individual investor buys these stocks at higher prices and sells them at lower prices.

Goldman Sachs is profiting from the financial crisis recovery by taking the same huge risks with a bonus-driven culture.

And they have covered this risk by changing their designation from an investment bank to a bank holding company, which enables them to get FDIC protection and almost free Fed money.

So, please tell me how Goldman Sachs’ activities and business model benefit our society as a whole by creating financial products that contribute to the growth of American financial industry? What do they do that is valuable to other people? Or does Goldman merely create financial gimmicks to make money for Goldman, leaving the crumbs for the rest of us, and subjecting individual investors to a stock market with a casino mentality?