3.17.2012

Greenspan's Body Count: 16 Afghan civilians?

The Daily Beast is pointing to financial problems in the case of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of murdering innocent women and children in Afghanistan.
Bales and his wife, Karilyn, appear to have been under financial duress. Their house, about 20 minutes from the base, was reportedly put up for sale the day after the shootings, listed at $50,000 less than the purchase price.
Bales and his wife bought the house at 5215 West Tapps Drive in Lake Tapps, WA in the bubble in 2005 for $280,000. It's now worth low-$200's. I wouldn't post this information except that the family has been moved to secure facilities on the base and will never return to the house.

As evil and destructive as Alan Greenspan is, I'm not ready to chalk these killings up to him. This was the result of the Bush-Obama policy of military adventurism, occupation, and colonization. Occupation is Hell.

UPDATE: Fox News reports the Bales owned another place in Auburn, WA, which they had abandoned. It's apparently this place, 1206 31st St NE. They bought it in 1999 for $99,950, about what it's worth for now on Zillow, but it was worth more than $200,000 in Greenspan's bubble. Presumably they sucked out a huge slug of home equity at the peak, because otherwise they would have been able to sell it instead of having to abandon it.

UPDATE 2: Yep, they owed $195,000 on that $100,000 Auburn house. Greenspan, you bastard.

3 comments:

Kenny Bing said...

so you're saying we are NOT fighting for truth, justice and the American way..???? Or, maybe we are...

Anonymous said...

The guy was a con artist, well before the housing bubble. Naturally, he sucked as much money out of the banks as they would allow. From con artist to killer, you can't really pin this one on Greenspan. Not if you have any integrity.

W.C. Varones said...

Financial despair can deeply affect both con artists and honest men.

I'm not putting this on GBC, but I'm not saying Greenspan's completely innocent in this case either.

Happy Super Tuesday!