Quote Originally Posted by craven View Post
good and i am sure valid points guys, but there is a danger of thread creep here, there has been much debate already on the nature and pros and cons of the bail outs, i was not seeking to revisit this ground, but to open up the discussion in a more broader context.

Does the fact that our respective governments are now in effect nationalising these companies via the provision of state funding signal the end of capitalism as we know it, has capitalism as we know it had its day, and if so what is the viable alternative ?
No. In my opinion it does not. At least, not as long as America is filled with small businesses. That is truly the backbone of America, not the conglomerates. When the mom & pop places die without any evident new businesses being "born", then capitalism will be dead.