So, the crisis that was so horrible and demanded that Hank Paulson be handed a check for nearly a Trillion dollars has no devolved into yet another shell game of "Whose fault is it?"
Usually, when I hear somebody mention "socialism" as a put down and in a negative light when describing some kind of resolution to a problem, my kneejerk reaction is "Bring it on!" That was my reaction to this situation at first. As time has passed and the republicans have sort of shied away from the bailout (and that is what it is on the surface, more in depth it is appearing more and more to be just a HANDout) and more democrats have not gone along with the leadership, I've become more solid in my position that no money should be handed to anyone who is on Wall Street.
For all the specifics that are being demanded in the bill, the specifics on who is getting part of the handout are vague. More horribly, once again the "administration" has demanded that congress with one specific action to a situation that the "administration" has labeled a "crisis" and congress is now engrossed in a debate about the specifics and the manner of how their specific reaction (dictated by the "administration") should be carried out but NOT ONCE has it seriously debated on whether said action should be taken AT ALL.
"The Market" tried to rattle some cages yesterday by selling off a lot and making the market drop as if that changed the price of my gas or made my check shorter or got my kid to school later somehow. The Market crashing would have ZERO EFFECT on those who are already hurting or strapped or out of work or living paycheck to paycheck without hope of saving a dime for retirement or who have already had their houses foreclosed on.
For the last 20 years or so, The American Dream has been mainly that for many people. It is a fantasy that many Americans play at. What I mean is that Dream of a 3 bedroom house, a car, a yard, 2.5 kids, a yearly vacation, education for the kids, a good christmas has been not a dream that is attained, held and cherished. Rather, it has been a constant struggle and a ruse that most Americans only achieve a rationalized, slightly shabby version of.
Like teams of performers spinning plates on a canes, darting frenetically from stage left to stage right, jiggling this cane and that, constantly staring up and trying to catch each plate before it slips off its cane and causes the whole thing to crash to the floor, Americans have been frenetically darting from job to job, jockeying for position, learning nothing, faking it till they make it, carting kids from soccer practice to peewee football to whatever other activity the kids disdain in order to appear to be the Cleavers.
It is time to pull the curtain back and reveal the tricks and cut the smoke machines and let the cards fall where they may. And if it takes letting everything burn, then let it all burn.
