Hate Options

[*KINGdinguhling*]

President Obama has a plan to create or save 3 million jobs. But did you
hear what Rush Limbaugh said?

"I hope he fails."


i got an email on my school account containing that. I thought was pretty f*cked up. ANY COMMENTS?

[sixfive]

Stimulus checks should be sent out in the form of debit card type things so people can't save (the stimulus), only spend.

[mipadi]

Stimulus checks should be sent out in the form of debit card type things so people can't save (the stimulus), only spend.

Unfortunately, that'll never happen, because our country has the mentality that so-called "handouts" to individuals are "socialism" or the product of a "welfare state", and people should succeed or fail on their own merits.

(Corporations, of course, are immune to this criticism; if a corporation fails, well then, a government handout is a necessity. That's not socialism, folks, that's strengthening our capitalist economy!)

[sixfive]

Unfortunately, that'll never happen, because our country has the mentality that so-called "handouts" to individuals are "socialism" or the product of a "welfare state", and people should succeed or fail on their own merits.

(Corporations, of course, are immune to this criticism; if a corporation fails, well then, a government handout is a necessity. That's not socialism, folks, that's strengthening our capitalist economy!)

I don't mean to be snarky, but are you agreeing with me? I had almost accepted the fact that we'd always have opposing opinions.

[mipadi]

I don't mean to be snarky, but are you agreeing with me? I had almost accepted the fact that we'd always have opposing opinions.

I don't agree with the way the government handled the bailout, no. I believe one of two things should've happened:

1. Money should've been given to individuals to, e.g., pay off the mortgages they can't afford. Pundits often claim this is a bad idea because individuals may buy "shiny things" instead of paying off their mortgages, but I doubt individuals would've been more irresponsible with the money than investment bankers. Anyway, given the choice between one's house and some new "shiny thing", I think even an idiot would choose his house.
2. Instead of giving the financial corporations the money, the government should've done what an investor would've done: bought up outstanding stocks, so that the investment may one day turn a profit down the road. Since many of these stocks are so devalued now, though, the government essentially would've bought a controlling stake in the banks, turning the once-private banks into nationalized entities. This, of course, does not sit well with conservatives, who decry it as socialism. Well, too f*cking bad. You had your chance at rampant laissez-faire capitalism, and you f*cked it up big-time.