Bailout Fails – Republicans Put Feelings First

She may have said the right thing at the wrong time, but Pelosi was correct. We’re in this huge mess because of massive Republican spending alongside Democratic….(what’s a word for rolling over and playing dead?). She just left out the Democratic weakness part. One thing I can say about the Republicans – they will stand up for whatever they believe, or what their party believes, and they won’t cave. They talk nice and play ruthlessly. The Democrats talk smack but quickly roll over on their back. That’s a recipe for, well, the economy melting down.

It really doesn’t matter what either party says at this point. The taxpayers are on the hook one way or another. We can try to plug the hole with a big bailout package or we can keep doing one-off cash infusions for failing institutions. We’re gonna pay. The question is which method will be less painful. In a non-election year, the problem would have already been addressed. But now, with so many seats being contested, the nose will be cut off to spite the face.

After a bailout deal had reached agreement yesterday, several Republicans pulled out because Pelosi gave a speech that insulted them. At least that was the report. Republicans never blame Democrats for anything, right? Bush never calls out Democrats. At any rate, in the face of a free-falling stock market, the Republicans took their ball and went home. They quit. And because Pelosi insulted them? Sure. Poor creatures.

The stock market lost over a trillion dollars yesterday. About this much: $1,200,000,000,000. That means people’s retirement accounts and investments are getting drained. And it’s going to get worse. And if our Congress can’t put the people’s business before re-election and hurt feelings, we’re all skrewed.

I Am A Pig – Oink Oink

I recently commented on a blog where a woman persistently praises herself for her wholesome beliefs. She talks about being a Christian, you know, a “Compassionate Conservative”, a “Bush Christian”. She is an individual that seems to have a talent at separating her actions from the Biblical commandments which, among other things, clearly define killing as a no-no. Of course this person is a pro-war zealot. And she mocks those that do not take her scribbles as pure truth, because she has faith. And she is very certain that she is correct.

I believe it’s Commandment #7 that tells us not to murder. I went back and looked just to make sure. Lo and Behold, there was NOT as asterisks that says, “well, don’t murder unless someone tells you that there are WMD there, and they don’t like you anyway. If so, it’s ok to indiscriminately kill tens of thousands of men women and children if it makes you feel better.”

Because I told her that I did not believe many of her statements, she called me a pig and many other names, using some Biblical quotes and nice pictures to back up her assertions. You can check out her rant against me here.

What amazes me is this: Because I didn’t claim to be of any particular faith, or THE faith, she instantly considered me a non-believer and unholy. And she let me know it. What was really funny is that she said that she was not being judgmental. Oh, ok. However, if I had come to her and professed that I was a Christian, she might have actually taken my questions to be something different. In other words, this woman can be swayed by someone’s claims, like George Bush’s, that they are a Christian. Don’t look at the actions, just hear the claim, and then all is better.

I used to work in a mental hospital and I have met many who believed they were Jesus. When anyone tells me that God has told them to do something, well, I get ready to run. Because God apparently tells a lot of people that they should do crazy stuff like kill other people. Funny how that works….but I digress.

Back to the comments I made on the blog – I never resorted to name calling. And there are plenty of names that came to mind, namely “stupid” and “self righteous”. But I didn’t say those things mainly because this person has admitted to having “thin skin”. But this is my blog and I’ll say what I want. And if you want to call me out for being a dumbass, go right ahead. You wouldn’t be the first. But here’s a 411 – having a big mouth and thin skin usually is a recipe for some serious conflict.

If you intend to run a blog and have it as a one-way medium where you preach to people and you are unwilling or unable to receive feedback, consider writing books, and use a pen name. Because if you can’t take legitimate questions to your inconsistent claims, you might consider shutting your trap or start being consistent.

This is Not Socialism – This is Necessary

Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson recently scoffed that the idea of the government bailout of financial institutions could be called Socialism. Since it’s ‘necessary’, then it can’t be called ’socialism’. Oh, ok. Now I’m clear on that. Whew!

What I find utterly ridiculous is that most Americans really don’t know what is going on and few seem to have a memory of the past. My previous post briefly discussed what seems to be the beginning of the issues – deregulation. I recall the Republicans screaming for deregulation and saying the markets would work things out. The markets would guide the economy, not the government. Government needs to stay out! The market knows all and will fix and heal all.

Hey, the market is on the phone, they want $700 billion right now, no questions asked. Ok?

This constant call for deregulation and no oversight by the Republicans is like a 15 year old demanding utter freedom, a car, credit card and no curfew. And the Democrats are like the weak parents that consistently cave in to the yelling and boisterous behavior. So now the teenager is in big trouble. The Dems are ready to cave in again and quickly do a bail out. And the Republicans are mad. They’re always mad.

A few months ago, GW Flightsuit vetoed a bill that would have given health care coverage to children. These are children that just happened to be born into a family with no money. They made no choices that would have put them in this powerless position. But $7 billion was “excessive”. How does a “Compassionate Conservative” justify denying health care to the helpless while bailing out stupid people at 100 times the cost?  They just do.

“Compassionate conservative”, like the “Patriot act”, is an oxymoron. It’s calling up down and down up. But that’s for another post. Compassionate conservatives and the wave of “new” Christians who have taken up this doublespeak deserve their own special acknowledgment.

Banks Deregulate in 1999 To Fail In 2008

I just read this article from 1999. This showed up as the first result for the query “deregulation of banks” in Google.

If you don’t like reading, well, you are on a blog after all. But I’ll keep it short. Here are the good parts:

First, this deregulation, just like Nafta and many other horrible laws, was passed with a Republican Congress and a Lewinski’d president, “An agreement between the Clinton administration and congressional Republicans, reached during all-night negotiations which concluded in the early hours of October 22, sets the stage for passage of the most sweeping banking deregulation bill in American history, lifting virtually all restraints on the operation of the giant monopolies which dominate the financial system.”

What would the new deregulation mean? “The proposed Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 would do away with restrictions on the integration of banking, insurance and stock trading imposed by the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, one of the central pillars of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Under the old law, banks, brokerages and insurance companies were effectively barred from entering each others’ industries, and investment banking and commercial banking were separated.”

What would likely happen because of this? “The bill ties the banking system and the insurance industry even more directly to the volatile US stock market, virtually guaranteeing that any significant plunge on Wall Street will have an immediate and catastrophic impact throughout the US financial system.”

And there we have it.

Think about it. Markets don’t just take care of themselves. People and corporations do not act for the good of society but for the profits of shareholders. Love of money is a baaaad thing.

What would happen if, say, the roadways were “unregulated”? Think people would drive 55 mph? Would there be a lot more highway deaths?

We are in a society that spends hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money on weapons but the act of spending any money on healthcare is condemned. We are a society that spends billions of dollars to bail out private industry companies that made stupid mistakes because of their greed. Yet NO money is spent on the citizens who are losing their homes.

Caring for people is actually a good thing. I would much rather pay to help people out than bail out corporations. I would much rather give children free cancer treatment than put their families on welfare while they watch their loved ones dry up and pass.

Jesus Was A Community Organizer

Aside from turning water to wine and driving money changers out of the temple, Jesus worked to bring people together and make their lives better – all without payment. And he was often scorned. Actually, he was tortured and killed.

Giuliani doesn’t know what he believes, but he does know community organizing is funny.

Community Organizing is Funny

Community Organizing is Funny

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