Reply #1: And the Bush-Cheney regime wants us to fear this [View All]

[Newsjock]

Just like we were supposed to fear al-Qaida scuba divers, Saddam's Winnebagos of Death, and mystery terrorists crossing the border from Mexico. If we are sufficiently fearful, we will go along with whatever solution is placed before us, regardless of whether it actually is a reasonable solution.

The Patriot Act was passed in haste because we were told that the bogeyman was hiding under our bed, waiting to attack us. And America -- including most of Congress -- fell for it.

Now here we are again. A "crisis" has suddenly appeared, and lo and behold, our government just happens to have a "solution" all ready to go. And the threats are only going to intensify next week: Pass this plan exactly as is, or else you're contributing to the death of our financial system.

Without a bailout, are we headed to another Great Depression? Nobody knows, not you, not me, not the Fed. But the question is: Are we willing to put up $700 billion (probably more like $1.5 trillion before it's all over) of our money for a scheme that might prevent a collapse that may or may not happen? And what do we get in return? The only thing we're scheduled to get from all of this is ... nothing. No collapse. But no other benefits. Our "success" is measured only by absence of "disaster."

The more that the talking heads try to spread fear over the next week, the more I will know that this bailout must not happen. If I can be shown a logical, factual analysis of where we are now, and a logical, factual plan for how to get us out of this mess that does not reward those who caused the problem, then I can be swayed.

But for now, I'm against it.