Is the Vampire Squid Wrapped Around Facebook?

Almost everyone loves to hate on Goldman Sachs, a.k.a the "Vampire Squid".

Goldman Sachs is becoming the most hipster bank of Wall Street. Why?   If you haven't noticed, the investment banking giant has been involved in several cool projects in Brooklyn.

By Ellen Brown: In September 2008, Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, managed to extort a $700 billion bank bailout from Congress. But to pull it off, he had to fall on his knees and threaten the collapse of the entire global financial system and the imposition of martial law; and the bailout was a one-time affair.

By Bret Jensen:Goldman Sachs (GS) is nothing if not a survivor. Not only has one of the primary villains of the financial crisis survived, it has thrived. The so called "Great Vampire Squid" came through the crisis with its dominance and clients intact.

By Seeking Benny Frank:Some say investment banking is dead, others see growth and calmer, more profitable seas ahead. For now the financial sector can be a scary place to invest. One bad Spanish debt auction, or bad news about a US bank trading loss, can send financial stocks plummeting without remorse. A good example of the latter just happened on the 10th.

Pater Tenebrarum submits: Matt Taibbi, Squid Hunter Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone magazine has made a name for himself as a prominent populist critic of Wall Street, most especially criticizing what is today considered the preeminent Wall Street firm, Goldman Sachs (GS).

James Picerno submits: Wall Street is a shadow of its former self, and not just because of the financial trauma in late-2008. Technology has long been reducing the relevance of big-city financial centers. Much of what passed as standard operating behavior among previous generations of bankers and money managers working in the financial canyons of New York, London and other cities can now be accomplished in the hinterlands, and probably at a lower cost.