American Bankers Association Videos

Derivatives and credit default swaps might not sound as scary as death panels, but they're responsible, at least in part, for our economic meltdown. The Dow might be back up, but most of the country is still suffering from the aftereffects of the bankers' greed. The Showdown in Chicago protests this week attempted to attract attention to the conference, where bankers attended panels with titles like "Strategies for Acquiring Troubled Banks," "NonInterest Income," and "Unwinding Government Intervention," along with a keynote speech by Newt Gingrich.Joining us to discuss whether the American Dream should apply just to rich bankers or to the rest of us are Matt Taibbi, journalist with Rolling Stone and author of The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion , George Goehl, executive director of National People's Action, Christina Clausen, International Representative, United Food &

Tea party protesters aren't the only ones angry about the bailouts of huge banks under Bush and Obama. In Chicago this week, the American Bankers Association held their annual meeting, and activists from progressive groups and labor unions were there to greet them. The Showdown in Chicago protesters were addressed by, among others, Senator Dick Durbin and FDIC chair Sheila Bair. Is the American Dream something for rich bankers to achieve by taking taxpayer dollars to give themselves ever-larger bonuses, or does that money belong to all of us? And is protesting in the streets and at the bankers' meetings the best way to push for more equitable policies and stronger regulation of the financial industry? Joining us to discuss are Matt Taibbi, journalist with Rolling Stone and author of The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion , George Goehl, executive director of National People's Action, Christina Clausen, International Representative, United Food & Commercial Workers Union and Change to Win, and Rob Robertson of the Right To The City Alliance and Picture the Homeless.

Economist Dean Baker compared the American Bankers Association to termites, saying "it does most of its damage in the dark." But activists from all over the country have converged in Chicago this week for dramatic protests at the ABA's annual convention, designed to drag the bankers' actions out into the light. We'll have updates all week on the actions at the Showdown in Chicago, but here's a look at one of the first actions at the "Bankers' Ball," where activists decided to crash the party. Thanks to SEIU for the video.

Corporations have edged into nearly every area of our lives, impacting decisions we make on a daily basis, from health care to the food we eat to the way we get our news and information. Today on GRITtv we take a look at a couple of places that corporate control is being challenged.The Internet has fundamentally changed the media landscape, allowing everyday people to have their voices heard and connect with one another in new and exciting ways. So it really shouldn't be surprising that corporations want to tighten their grip on the Web and our ability to disseminate information on it.