If Only We Had A Plan To Get People Back To Work...

[blueduck37.livejournal.com]

Sorry, we can't afford to keep our workers employed. We blew all our money on CEO bonuses jets corporate retreats magic beans...? Anyway, whatever, you are fired. Get better soon, economy!



[UPDATE: On a semi-related note, here's a headline I just came across the really says it all... Bailout Watchdog Calls for Financial System Overhaul, but GOP Dissents]

Comments

[angry-scotsman.livejournal.com]

It's sad/infuriating/depressing to imagine just how many different orange cards there might be in that deck.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Republicans seem to be reduced to one word anymore, "No!"

[xforge.livejournal.com]

"Even if it's the exact same thing we ourselves put together six months ago, now it's NO!!!"

[fleaplus.livejournal.com]

Well yes, that's kind of an inherent part of being a minority party.

[angry-scotsman.livejournal.com]

From the article - "Critics of a regulatory overhaul complain that a strong governmental presence in the private markets could upset the delicate balance that exists in a free market system. They fear overregulation could constrict the free flow of ideas and competitiveness that drives the financial arena."

Yep, same reasons criminals don't want the cops around or horny teens don't want their parents around - supervision keeps them from getting into mischief.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Only if you believe it's fair to compare all private enterprises to criminals or horny teens or that government is always as responsible as a good cop or parent.

[desidono.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's all private enterprises, it's the ones who got us into this mess in the first place. They already proved they couldn't self-regulate themselves and went to a party under aged and got way too drunk and smashed their parents car into a tree.

Should they get a curfew (at least!) after that? ABSOLUTELY.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

THIS X1000

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

As I have pointed out before (http://community.livejournal.com/politicartoons/1153307.html?thread=22318363#t22318363), it isn't that simple. A more accurate analogy is they are acting out partly because their parents are drunks who beat them regularly, and they had a uncle who brought them the alcohol in the first place.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

As it turns out though, that's not an excuse. Some people were abused and grew up fine; others only had to listen to Uncle Al's war stories and grew up torturing chickens in the kitchen dooryard. Strangely, this metaphor still works.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Curfew hell, they should be shackled to the radiator in their bedroom with nothing but bread and water and their schoolbooks.

[vivianc1968.livejournal.com]

What a great idea! Let the people who regulated and supervised Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have control over the entire system. What could possibly go wrong with that?

Anyone who claims that banks weren't regulated the last eight years is either ignorant or lying.

[zombiesmustdie.livejournal.com]

So are you against regulation that would restrict sub-prime loans and limit speculation? (i.e. two of the major reasons the economy is in the tank now)

[vivianc1968.livejournal.com]

That is not the limit of the regulations.

[zombiesmustdie.livejournal.com]

So what are you against?

[vivianc1968.livejournal.com]

Setting pay limits. Setting lending policy. Setting dividends. Claiming non-union employment contracts are invalid while union ones are valid. Generally running the banks.

I was also against the bailout and the forcing of banks to accept the bailout.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

So you're basically against anything that would fix the situation and prevent it from happening again.
Got it.


Why do you hate America so much?

[fleaplus.livejournal.com]

How would any of those things fix matters?

[blueduck37.livejournal.com]

hat a great idea! Let the people who regulated and supervised Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have control over the entire system.

Perspective, you need it (http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2008/09/blaming_fannie_mae.php).

(And the whole point was that supervision and regulation was sorely lacking for these institution in the last 10 years or so, not that there was too much.)

Anyone who claims that banks weren't regulated the last eight years is either ignorant or lying.

Well obviously there was some regulation, but not enough. That's like an inspector general being asked to report on why a big building burned down noting "hey there were some fire extinguishers." Over the last 10 years, starting back in the Clinton era (http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/bank-n01.shtml), we've had massive deregulation which just grew and grew. This isn't exactly a disputed fact.

Some recommended reading... here (http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-01-28/news/what-cooked-the-world-s-economy/), here (http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2009/01/stiglitz200901), and here (http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/01/15/sovereign_wealth_funds/index.html), and then watch this...

[vivianc1968.livejournal.com]

History: You forgot it. Let me remind you about regulation:



So the people who said there was no problem and refused oversight now want to be the ones to control regulation and oversight? It's not a bright idea to have the guy who robbed your store be your head of security.

[blueduck37.livejournal.com]

You're focusing on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac issue only (kudos for sticking faithfully to the talking points, though), ignoring the much, much larger issues and institutions at work here. So everything I wrote above stands.

Don't miss the forest for the trees.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

This.

[jlc20thmaine.livejournal.com]

We don't need more regulations or more oversight committees, we need correct regulations and oversight. Furthermore, the problems we are facing today, or at least some of them, are not caused by a free market but but by individuals getting greedy.

Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

Granted, you ruin it at the end when you imply that deregulation didn't cause the global economic crash, but the rest of it is spot on.

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[desidono.livejournal.com]

I had this reaction too.

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

Is that pho in your icon?
Making me hungry..

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, pho. ::eyes glaze over::

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

tom yum goong
nom nom nom

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

Chicken ho mok [which is Thai but nevermindthatnow]

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

YOU MAKE SQUID HONGRY!

Re: Gods help me, but you're pretty much right.

[desidono.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is tasty tasty pho.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

This. ::facial tic::