“It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes.”

and there seems to be no accountability... and they call this democracy

Coming from the perpetrator of the Trail of Tears, it rings a little hollow. And the quote should apply also the poor & powerful: the mob.

S. Engel is spot-on in noting that this pietistic 'regret' applies equally to ALL 'classes'. It's a shame the quote implies that only the rich are invested with a selfish urge to 'bend the rules'. It REEKS sanctimony.

To be regretted, hell. That's just what the exploiters expect and want. Just regret, don't get off one's ass and DO something about it.

Its sad that the last three miss the point - it's not the person that matters but the essence - the mob is bad (they don't press the buttons) and if it applied to all the quote would have no meaning, and lastly, yes, but I don't see anyone getting off their ass.

Yes, it is INDEED regrettable, KING Andrew.

ahh yes, the rich and powerful. Another lobby heard from - accurate and well worn. And if they weren't rich when they rose to power, they then got rich. More power to um.

While we all treasure the idea of self-government the greed and avarice of the rich and powerful apparently knows no bounds. Take Madoff for exhibit 1. What does not get checked or audited goes awry. History has proven that those who are able to put their hands in the cookie jar are not capable of self-government and must be watched very closely.

Jackson also said that the International Bankers were a den of thieves and should be routed from these United States. But they weren't and now they own us and our government. Audit The Fed.

Bill Gates is rich and powerful and gives millions to charity , as do many rich people. Think of the jobs created by Gates, Michael Dell of Dell computers and others like these. Using Madoff as an example to put all rich peole down is rediculous. He is a con man, a criminal, and got his just desserts.

Jim K, I just accepted delivery of 300 monitors from Dell. All "Made in China". Seems Dell is vacating ties to America as anything but a marketplace. But you make a good point. Charity does not need to be mandated by government.

If you think Madoff and Gates are the type of 'rich' people Jackson is talking about, you don't know who the rich and powerful really are. The Fed owns every US dollar in Bill Gates' pocket. Jackson DID route out the central bankers in his day and survived several attempted assassinations. It is foolish to think that with the Democratic Party there are no rich and powerful... heck, you can't even run for president if you are not a millionaire -- and these guys are but puppets for the REAL rich and powerful (the ones that OWN the country and all your money and to whom we are in debted for all time). Obama is Wall Street's man -- just look at his cabinet, all Wall Streeters and Federal Reserve lackeys. Indeed it is to be regretted that the US government has been taken over by the rich and powerful...

The rich and powerful folks' acts wouldn't have to be regretted were the rich and powerful Americans, true American, I mean, the kind who can clearly see the Founding Fathers' intentions when they built America. Unfortunately, many, maybe most of them not only are not Americans, let alone true Americans, let alone appreciative of the Founding Fathers' intentions. Those do not read, they just count.

Translate "rich and powerful" to American Corporations.

i think this quote is true and it sums it all up

the richies allways have to have it there way

Plutocracy is the only government, always was & always will be. Civilization (sic) is for the benefit of the rich & ends when we all stop cooperating in the insanity & slavery. Assassination & war are tools of the Super Rich. Fighting feeds the Beast. Agriculture is a child of the Beast (see Genesis, ch3), especially wheat & sugar cane. see wheatbellyblog.com and fibermenace.com . These foods are called foundations of civilization because they feed the Beast & keep you sick & zombie-like all your life. The Super Rich don't care what the government or banking system is called or how it operates or what its constitution is. This Beast likes to see you figthting each other & going to war! It means Super Wealth to them!!