Wall Street

[js207]

I voted to bail them out.

Let the bastards fall is one thing, and I agree with that sentiment. But why should ordinary people suffer as a consequence, as they will?

Bail them out. But attach strings. Either they pay back the loans they are given, plus interest, or they belong to the nation - for as long or as little time it takes for the nation to sell/break up or do whatever else they want.

Americans will be paying around $5,000 a head to save Wall Sreet's ass. That's a huge investment for private individuals, and Wall street better say "Thank-you" nicely.

TYWD

I feel sure there's a better position somewhere in between. Maybe a few companies need to be bailed out, but I suspect most could be dealt with through a combination of Chapter 11, takeovers/mergers and actual bankruptcy, without the need to pour hundreds of billions of dollars of the taxpayers' money in. Yes, investors would be bearing some costs - as they would under the bailout plan, as taxpayers - but no more than the amount they invested, usually far less, instead of the thousands of dollars each the bailout takes.