VIDEO: Ashton Kutcher – Wall Street is ‘Punking Us Right Now!’

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After Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) discusses the bailout as if it’s something “they” are doing (as opposed to her, a member of the U.S. Congress) Ashton Kutcher called her on it on Friday’s HBO’s Real Time w/ Bill Maher, before going on to make a very significant point about the insane way this economic “bailout” is being carried out.

“With all due respect, you’re in a position to do something very significant about it. We’re all in a position to do something very significant about it,” he tells the Congresswoman, before the actor/producer of Punk’d goes on to declare, deadly seriously, in reply to Maher: “They’re punking us right now!” (appx. 2 mins)…

I’ll tell ya, I was really impressed with Kutcher every time he opened his mouth on the show last Friday. I hope he keeps talking. Clearly, he’s been paying very close attention to what’s really going on out here. And, to that end, we’ll have another clip of him from the same show later today, which offers some pretty good evidence that he must be a BRAD BLOG reader. Stay tuned…

Text transcript follows below…

MAHER: They passed out all this money. The banks were supposed to lend the money. That’s why we gave the money to the banks. But we never got that in writing, you see? They didn’t deploy the money. They’re hoarding the money. [inaudible] …but they got something for the money. We’ve gave the money with no strings. This is outrageous! [applause]

ROS-LEHTINEN: And they’re about to do it again for the big three automakers, next week, next Wednesday…

KUTCHER: With all due respect, you’re in a position to do something very signficant out it. We’re all in a position to do something very significant about it. So to say “they are going to do it again”, we are going to do it again, because we are the ones who are paying these gigantic financial institutions money so they can chill out and take these giant giant golden parachutes, whatever. These guys are sitting fat cat.

MAHER: Right.

KUTCHER: Now I run a business, and in my business, I make a lot of money. I do really well. If my business starts to fail, right? I’m the first guy who starts taking a cut, right? The big guy on top. Right now, Ford can’t run a football team, let alone an automotive factory, right? And these guys…I’m sure they’re making millions of dollars, right?! But we are gonna bail them out. We are gonna bail out the financial institutions. It’s, it’s crazy…

MAHER: So you’re saying if the industry of “punking” takes a dive…[laughter]…you are the first one to…

KUTCHER: What are you?… They’re punking us right now! [cheers] I think…I can’t take a dive. We are all being punk’d…

MAHER: …No, you’re right…

KUTCHER: We genuinely, we genuinely are. You’re right. Show me what the automative companies are gonna do to fix their company issue, and then we’ll give you a loan, or then we’ll help you out. I’d don’t understand this… Look [raises hand] I want a free check!

ROS-LEHTINEN: And where does it stop? Circuit City?…

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VIDEO: Ashton Kutcher – Wall Street is ‘Punking Us Right Now!’

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5 Responses

  1. 1)
    Adam Fulford said on 11/17/2008 @ 2:19pm PT: [Permalink]

    MontyThe economy and society is structured in such a way that people are forced to own cars. Cars are a major source of CO2 emissions (not to mention toxic lead in the dust of children’s playgrounds), thus a main cause of global warming. The talk is of a bailout for the auto industry, but with little mention refitting them to be harmless to the environment. If not, then the American taxpayer will be subsidizing pollution and global warming.

    When I think of the absurd wealth distribution plans of American political leaders, a certain Monty Python song comes to mind. “Dennis Moore” should be renamed “Dems ‘n’ GOP”:

    “Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Galloping through the sward
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    And his horse Concorde
    He steals from the rich
    And gives to the poor
    Mr. Moore, Mr. Moore, Mr. Moore
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Riding through the night
    Soon every lupin in the land
    Will be in his mighty hand
    He steals them from the rich
    And gives them to the poor
    Mr. Moore, Mr. Moore, Mr. Moore
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Dum dum dum the night
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Dum de dum dum plight
    He steals dum dum dum
    And dum dum dum dee
    Dennis dum, Dennis dee, dum dum dum
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Riding through the woods
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    With his bag of things
    He gives to the poor
    And he takes from the rich
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Riding through the land
    Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore
    Without a merry band
    He steals from the poor
    And gives to the rich
    Stupid bitch”

  2. 2)
    Bryan Turner said on 11/17/2008 @ 2:53pm PT: [Permalink]

    Ashton Kutcher nailed the problems of this so-called bailout/rescue. Responsibility and accountability should be top-down. But, as is happening all too often when truths are spoken by someone not at the top of the power and ego pyramid, Kutcher was laughed at, and his points made are dismissed by, and lost on the other people, including Maher.

  3. 3)
    Phil said on 11/17/2008 @ 4:55pm PT: [Permalink]

    Karl Denninger has been telling you what’s up with the markets way before Kutcher. Even has a plan “Genesis Plan” to solve it. This was no accident. It was planned. If only the democrats could hold their opinion of Karl, and actually bothered read the Genesis Plan, perhaps things would have been different now. But let’s keep going with the bailouts right into a “Depression We Can Believe In.”

  4. 4)
    Soul Rebel said on 11/17/2008 @ 11:06pm PT: [Permalink]

    The Kid is good. Hope he runs for office. I’d like to see him punk a few of them bastards on the hill.

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