IF the American People don’t want a bailout, then congress should be looking at, and seriously discussing options that don’t include one. It should be exploring how the economy, and some would say, “the market,” would adjust and restructure itself in a post-collapse world.
Instead of taking patronizing position (“There there America, you don’t know what you’re doing.”), the presidential candidates, if not Congress itself, should also embrace and present non-bailout strategies, since it is again clear that this is the approach preferred by the People of the United States.
What we’re hearing instead is disaster. The sound bytes feed only the downside as though there is no “up.” There is never a downside without an upside. The question is, to whom? Who will benefit by “bailing out” a system that is clearly non-responsive to its constituency? Short answer, it’s not the constituency.
Pundits write that we don’t know all the implications, as though the people who ran these businesses and the economy into the ground, did. They were hurting us with exorbitant interest rates, foreclosure powers, and real estate investment that had little to do with building communities, and everything to do with making a dollar, driving the price of housing ever higher on artificial demand. So if a correction is needed, so be it. Americans aren’t afraid of it. So why are the politicians?
Let’s look at life without a bailout.
If there’s no bailout, real estate won’t go away. Houses and buildings won’t disappear. Mortgage lending may indeed become more restrictive. Is that a bad thing? We’re still going to need to live somewhere, and people will still move. So people may rent instead of buy. They may have to save before they can purchase.
They will adjust.
I don’t hear the politicians expressing confidence in the American People. You don’t expect much from the Bush administration, or even from the McCain campaign, but I’d expect to hear that confidence from Barack Obama, who has been conspicuously conventional in his approach to the bailout. He’s still a politician, and virtually no politician, perhaps with the exception of Ron Paul, has been willing to say a contrarian word against the bailout.
Nonetheless, the American People don’t want one, and congress still isn’t listening.
Congress needs to be discussing “what if” there’s no bailout, but not with fear. Then again, their not too practiced at doing that.
They don’t understand that we have seen them tell us how “the sky was falling,” too many times when they wanted to get their way. Our involvement in Afghanistan, then Iraq after 9/11, to get Osama bin Laden, and then “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” was presented in the same way. We found neither, while the price of gas has gone from under $2.00 a gallon to over $4.00 and more, and the U.S. dollar is worth a fraction of its already reduced value of two years ago. Manufacturing and infusing $700 billion to prop up and perpetuate an admittedly flawed system will certainly hasten the slide.
The value of the U.S. dollar, a staple currency around the world, will further lose its luster, for it will be worth even less, making products… goods, services, housing, transportation, and trade, even more expensive. Is this what Congress wants, or am I not “seeing the picture?”
Some people believe that the planet is over populated, and therefore, needs a population downturn. So the population is polluted, poisoned, chem-trailed, medicated, and regulated to the point of bankruptcy or death, but before we go, we are asked to please pass the bailout.
If congress passed legislation that protected our right to natural healing modalities, and mandated that health insurance companies and HMO’s gave equal weight to any and all approaches, including non-invasive and non-toxic, it would have a profound effect, not only on our health and well-being, but on the economy. We remain largely ignorant of a grand opportunity that stares us in the face.
Our present toxic, debt-centric ways are in need of change. The risks and the benefits of life should flow to their originators, and not be bourn by the American People. On the other hand, the American People should not systematically poisoned and toxified, then have their access to nutrition, and non-invasive, non-toxic healing methods blocked or inhibited.
If this makes sense to you, please let your congressman know. We’re not afraid of the consequences of Wall Streets actions (although they are), but Congressional Members should listen to, and heed the Will of the people who put them in office. Otherwise, where’s the “representation?”
A bailout that makes sense!
I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to
America in a ‘We Deserve It Dividend’. To make the
math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bona
fide U.S.Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every
man,woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at
adults 18 and up. So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85
billion that equals $425,000.00.My plan is to give $425,000
to every person 18+ as a ‘We Deserve ItDividend’.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a
tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay$127,500.00
in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.But it
means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with
$297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college – it’ll be there
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car – create jobsInvest in the market – capital
drives growth
Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care
improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including
the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every
other company that is cutting back. And of course, for
those serving in our Armed Forces. If we’re going to
re-distribute wealth let’s really do it… instead of
trickling out a puny $1K ( ‘vote buy’ ) economic incentive.
If we’re going to bailout, let’s bail out every Adult U S Citizen 18+!
As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let
American General go back to being American General. Sell
off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters
cut it up and clean it up.
Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG didn’t.
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do
you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow Americans
to know how to use the $85 Billion ‘WeDeserve It
Dividend’ more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in
Washington DC. And remember, The -plan only really costs
$59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in
taxes to Uncle Sam.
Surface, your presence and energy is always welcome. They eventually forced “the bail out” through, but more people are yet waking up to the consequences of taking this course.
Best wishes,
Adam…
Amen. Thank you for sharing and speaking from the heart.