Posted in: Comics | Tagged: channing tatum, Comics, entertainment, frozen, let it go, mark waid, politics, steve geppi

Steve Geppi, The New Year And Mark Waid (UPDATE)

Steve Geppi, CEO, President and owner of Diamond Comic Distributors seems to have had a New Year's Resolution. Not just the one he describes below, but one to speak out more about his opinions, with as much frankness as he can muster.

As well as his takedown of President Obama, Democrats and Democrat voters, which seems to be a reversal of his previously expressed political views, he's had another reversal of sorts. Four days ago he also posted to Facebook…

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Given that the New Year has arrived, I'd like to announce my New Year's resolution! For most of you reading this, it will not apply, but for a number of you it will. After countless advice from true friends, I have decided to take their sound advice, and finally come to my senses, and officially close the Steve Geppi lending bank! I feel bad for those who have not abused the privilege, but since I cannot predict accurately who may or may not be a future violator, I am forced to make a "no loan" policy, that applies to all. I don't know why it took me so long to listen, but there comes a time when you've been taken advantage of for so long, that you lose respect for yourself. I've always enjoyed helping those in need, and I feel great when it goes appreciated, however when appreciation becomes the exception rather than the rule, and one disappointment after another occurs, the good feeling that I hoped for, becomes so far and few realized, that the joy it once provided is no longer worth it, with the number of times I end up feeling used. I really did enjoy seeing the look on faces of people who were in a desperate, or so they say, situation,and I helped them, but time and again, the beneficiary of my kindness has returned it with never ever making even the first payment, albeit they seem to find resources to continue to live their lifestyles, with no conscience whatsoever about their promises. You know who you are, so I don't have to name names. Please refrain from texting me, Facebook messaging me, calling me, emailing me, or showing up at my door, with your desperate, sad story about what a mess your life is! I suggest you actually do something positive with your time, like making practical financial decisions and stop looking for others to always bail you out. Anyone Who really knows me, will understand how hard it is for me to write this, but it must be done. My family and my friends who are really my true friends, are tired of seeing me used, and I owe it to them, as well as myself, to make this decision. I expect I won't be hearing from the people this is directed up to anytime soon, as many of them will just view it is, well it was good while it lasted. If you are one of those people, I suppose I will not have lost a friend over this, because if you really were a friend, you would not have done this to me. This message is not a feel sorry for me declaration! No one need to feel sorry for me as I made these decisions to help people from the heart, even though I've never been paid, I don't regret the feeling I felt when I did so. What I do regret is having put faith in the wrong people, who poured their hearts out to me in many cases, only to never let their debt to me cross their mind once they got what they wanted. I'm sure I'm not alone and having experienced this. For those of you who have felt the same mistreatment, I recommend you think long and hard about it before you do it again too! We the givers, are enabling the takers, and we are doing them no favor, as all we are really doing is perpetuating their practice because they know they can get away with it. I will say in closing, that there are some who really had good intentions, but were unable to fulfill their promises. That said, you would think if all you had to do was pick up the phone or send a text to explain yourself I might've deserved as much, and a few did, but the vast majority didn't even deem me worthy of that. I should've remembered my credo, that has always proved true, "no good deed goes unpunished"!

Happy New Year!

And to you Steve!

He also continued the discussion highlighted yesterday, with Mark Waid, in which I also pointed out that Steve Geppi had recently been close to bankruptcy. Another reason why the "bank" may be closing….

Mark Waid: Spoken like a rich white man. Thanks for sharing, Steve.

Steve Geppi: I prefer to think it was spoken as a man Mark.

Mark Waid: It was spoken as a man who owns a monopoly who still thinks the system isn't rigged enough in his favor, Steve. You came of age in one of America's most prosperous eras. It's really ballsy of you to assume that the shift from republic to oligarchy hasn't created economic barriers that you never had to face.

Steve Geppi: Mark, if you know anything about the history of this industry, you know I did not rig the system in my favor. I happen to be a survivor of a system that was about to go out of business thanks to Marvel buying Heroes World. I don't try to discredit your talents and what you've achieved in the industry by belittling your accomplishments. What did I do to deserve that in your eyes? People read what they want to read into things that are written. So far, all I've heard from those of a different opinion is resentment. I started out poor and worked my ass off, and for that I'm criticized. So I guess I was just lucky that my accomplishments were because it was America's most prosperous era? How about you Mark, were you just lucky too? Its truly rather insulting and I don't think I deserve it!

Mark Waid: Steve, I didn't accuse you of rigging anything. Nor did I say you were "just lucky." But like it or not, you (and I) both benefit from the fact that the world has changed greatly in our lifetimes to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Your stat that the "rich" pay 97% of the Federal Income Tax is inaccurate. The top 1% do pay anywhere from 65-70%, but it's an average of a 30% tax rate, compared to a 25% effective rate for the middle class, so any illusion that the rich are carrying any sort of undue burden is disingenuous. No one–NO ONE–is accusing you of not earning what you have. I have not in the least disparaged your accomplishments. But I fail to see any reality whatsoever in your stated fear that the "Do Nothings" are any serious threat to your accomplishments.

And given that your entire screed was teeming with resentment from word one–that resentment is the whole thesis of your sermon–you don't get to lecture anyone for being "resentful" that you're sounding like a cranky old man who's venting about them longhair hippie freaks and their loud music. You have worked hard and have benefitted from a system that has rewarded you for your efforts. You and I grew up in an era where kids could actually afford to go to college and when wages hadn't been frozen for 15 years despite inflation. In an era where health insurance wasn't prohibitively expensive to the point where even a minor health setback can ruin a family. You've earned a lot, and you've been given some, too. Giving some back does not make this country a worse place, Steve.

Steve Geppi: I correct myself. You didn't say I rigged the system, but you did say is I "still think the system isn't rigged enough". I am amazed that you seem to know what I think! Unless you have developed some clairvoyant talent that I'm not aware of, I am of the opinion that I am the only one who knows what I think. You mention economic barriers that I did not have to face when I was young. How do you know what economic barriers I faced? When I grew up, I couldn't afford to go to high school much let alone college. Yes, healthcare is prohibitively expensive, but is that because the greedy l, evil rich people made it that way? You have also decided what "rights" I have to "lecture" those who are resentful. According to the First Amendment, I have the right to say whatever I want just as you do and continue to do in lecturing me in this post. You don't have to suggest to me that I think giving back makes this country a worse place, because I would venture to guess that I have given back proportionately to those in need far in excess of what you might think I have. I can assure you also that I pay far in excess of the 30% tax rate that you SAY "is the average. I'd venture to guess that you do too. I hope you're not trying to tell me that people who are a victim of poverty, as I was when I was young, have an absolute right to blame everything that is ever happened to them on the system that now tries to provide for their care? There are many, many people who are true victims of poverty and environmental circumstances that make it greatly difficult for them to get out of their situation. I get that! What I don't get, is the constant blaming of those who work hard and provide the money that helps to benefit those who can't help themselves, and making them out to be the bad guys who caused the problem in the first place. They could've chosen a different path too, but they didn't. If a poor person who is on welfare now, gets an opportunity to become rich, should they be condemned too? There's also another small factor but never seems to be mentioned, and that is how does all this get paid for, if the simple solution is just to print more money! Do you really think that a never ending, unlimited, spiraling out of control national debt, that puts the burden on future generations, is the answer, because we won't be around to see it? I never said that anyone, or as you call them, the do-nothing's were a threat to my accomplishments. I posted something that I saw, that made a lot of sense, but was not necessarily penned by me myself. It appears to have given those with pent up political prejudices an opportunity to take shots at me personally, because they feel, that I am not entitled to an opinion as they are. I grew up in poverty, as I stated before, and I don't know if you grew up in poverty, but I can tell you I know what it is like rather than speculate what it must be like. Perhaps if I had not grown up in poverty, you might have the right to tell me what do I know about poverty? It doesn't give you the right to speculate what I think or how I feel. Keep in mind your first comment in this post was to say "spoken like a rich white man"! I daresay you wouldn't have said spoken like a rich black man for fear of being called a racist. Your derogatory comment is what started this whole exchange. You apparently felt the need to straighten this "Fat cat, rich white man out"! What was the purpose in calling me a "rich white man"? Is there some underlying prejudice that you're trying to communicate here that only rich white men are beneficiaries of the system? This may come as a great shock to you, but there are many rich people of other color, that believe in the same things that I do, as is there right! Each of us, in this country has a right to believe what they want and say what they want. It doesn't mean everyone will agree. I just find it amazing that if I choose to post something on my Facebook page, about my beliefs, those who disagree with them, feel that it is their place in life, to assess my life as to whether I have a right to express my opinion. Believe it or not, people who think like me, are not all bad people. We do a lot of good things for people less fortunate than us. There are also people who don't think like me, who do a lot of good things for people less fortunate than us. Every time I post something of a conservative viewpoint, those with a liberal viewpoint, try to make people like me feel like they have more sympathy, and more empathy for those less fortunate, to which I say, bullshit! Trying to use political differences to create an illusion that people who are successful and work hard are less sympathetic to the poor is total propaganda, and you know it! Politics do not define peoples hearts. There are bad Republicans, and there are bad Democrats! My political posts are always confined to my own Facebook page. If reading them bother someone, then they have the absolute right to delete me. It's unfortunate that the very right that we all treasure so much called free speech, has become the basis for this whole thread!

Mark Waid: Steve, I'm completely baffled as to how you've taken all Obama's talk so personally. Or how you can boil down what he's been saying and willfully misinterpret it so flagrantly. We both grew up in poverty. We've done pretty well. But you're under the Frightened Rich White Guy opinion that our Black President is long-gaming a conspiracy to Take Your Stuff while all he's ever asked is that people pay their fair share. Or to put it another way, who the hell is asking you, personally, to apologize for your success? Not me, no one I've yet seen. I know what barriers you faced because you've given many an interview. The Dems do not "preach equality of income as a right." That's just an intentional misreporting, Steve. They do get frustrated by a system wherein the harder you work, the further behind you get while the super-rich evade taxes using tools not available to the rest of us chumps. Where constant Republican gerrymandering has taken from the young the same chance of voting for change that we enjoyed.

Steve Geppi: "Frightened rich guy opinion"! Obama's color has nothing to do with anything, and it's a poor tactic to try to keep using to justify everything he does, effectively accusing every Republican of being a racist. If you don't vote for Ben Carson, does that make you a racist Mark? Republican gerrymandering is your version of what goes on in congress, but I don't suppose you think the Democrats have anything to do with the plight of the poor and underprivileged, do you? I don't take anything Obama says personally because I am not one to pity myself for what I have or don't have. I have never done that. Neither when I was poor nor today. In my humble conservative opinion, he is the worst president in the history of the country! Quite frankly I too am baffled as to why you think he is so genuine and honest, when he is a politician just like the rest. Nearly 8 years later, and everything is still George bushes fault! I have never seen any President been given as many passes as this one has, and I can't understand why? Don't kid yourself Mark, the Dems don't get frustrated by a system wherein the harder you work, the further you get behind while the super-rich evade taxes using tools not available to the rest of us chumps"? They get frustrated when someone points out their disingenuous claims that they have the best interest of their democratic constituents, that they rely on to keep getting elected, and thus benefit from their dependency. It's not in their interest to save them from their poverty. They need to keep these people believing they have been victimized so that they can continue to get their vote. They do absolutely nothing to help lift them from their plight. Blaming someone else for your plight is not a solution. No conscientious human being wants to see another one suffer or experience harm. We all want everyone alive to enjoy the benefits of being a citizen of the United States. Immigrants came to this country for a better opportunity than they found in their homeland. They worked hard at their crafts and helped build this great nation that affords that opportunity. They also recognized that not every person could not contribute on the same level, but they didn't use that as an excuse to not contribute what they could. Moreover, they did not hold those who are more successful than them in contempt for having enjoyed a better experience than themselves. You are not going to convince me that conservatives are insensitive, just as I'm not going to convince you that liberals aren't all more concerned about those less fortunate than they are. As long as elections are based on what voters think their candidates can do for them, the system will perpetuate the way it is. I think it's time we both went to sleep, don't you?

At which point everyone went to bed….

UPDATE: And then woke up.

Mark Waid: Steve, I'm not voting for Ben Carson not because I'm a racist. I'm not voting for him because no one will vote for him because he's not running for President. He's running for High-Paid Pundit. He doesn't even have a campaign manager, Steve; he has a business manager. He is scamming the American public and if you're standing there with a straight face telling me that you really think he's going to stick around for the primaries, much less win them, then you're leaving me as speechless as he is when he's asked any substantial question about foreign policy or why he thinks the pyramids were grain silos or what evidence he has that being gay is a choice and I could go on and on and on. But you're right; this conversation has long ago ceased to have any purpose. Neither of us is going to affect the other's opinion. Let's just let it go.

Steve Geppi I agree we should just let it go Mark, but I have to tell you you have zero knowledge about Ben Carson. He is a dear friend of mine and probably the most honest guy you will ever meet. Whether you agree with his policies and beliefs or not, The one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty he is he is of the highest level of integrity of any human being you will ever meet. Ben doesn't need to seek a high paid pundit job, as you theorize. To say he is scamming the American public is a totally ridiculous statement. You just don't know Ben Carson.

Mark Waid Wow. WOW. That's horrifying. I genuinely am speechless. So this means he really does believe that pyramids were grain silos, that being gay is a choice, that America "is very much like Nazi Germany," and that Obamacare really is the worst thing to happen in this country since slavery?

Steve Geppi You are beyond hope Mark, and your sarcasm isn't funny! First you try to tell people that you can read my mind about what I'm thinking, but now you know what everyone is thinking including Ben Carson. I think you should stick to writing comic books. You're much better at fiction than you are at reality. You are a classic case of a little learning can be dangerous. Why is it that the number one choice of defense for a liberal's argument is to insult those who disagree with them? If your purpose of perpetuating you're insulting responses is to grandstand for your followers that like your work, I think you've chosen the wrong format.
You started your first response with a racist comment, and you have continued to use sarcasm as your only basis for disagreement. It gets old really fast!

Mark Waid I wasn't being sarcastic in the least, Steve. These are things that Carson has said, some repeatedly. Everyone makes blunders now and then, but his are so chronic as to cast genuine aspersions on his intelligence. That's not an insult. That he has said these things is a stone-cold fact. I'm genuinely sorry that you've been taken in by Armstrong Williams' long con.

And as others pointed out that Mark had brought race into the conversation when he addressed Steve,

Mark Waid Jesus God Almighty. I "brought race into it" by pointing out that Steve's POV on all this is informed by his position in society. That's hardly a "racist comment." Also, learn what "imply" means.

Steve Geppi Spoken like a rich man is not racist. Spoken like a white rich man is. Try that using the word black and see if you get away with it.

I wonder if anyone, as Mark put it, will…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_9kWxyv9PY

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