The economic holiday from history is just about over as some of the bills are coming due. Peter's pockets are empty so he can't be robbed to pay Paulson any more. The bills do have to be paid, so here's to making sure the problem is being correctly identified so that the solution selected does actually address the underlying causes and not just the symptoms. Otherwise, this solution will only make matters worse while guaranteeing that another round of trillion dollar bailouts is just over the horizon. If there's any silver lining at all here it might be forcing our government's hand on addressing the fiscal irresponsibility of Social Security and Medicare as well. Hey, I can dream can't I?
Whatever form the bailout bill eventually takes, I'll agree to it on one condition: that it include an amendment that every current member of Congress be prohibited from ever holding elected office again. I'm not asking for term limits, only that this current bunch of utterly detestable miscreants be thrown out of office in disgrace at the first opportunity. Normally, I'm opposed to term limits and the like since there are some good people it would be shame to lose but right now the balance is so out of whack on the side of bums and crooks that the only solution seems to be to throw out the babies with the bathwater. If the bailout bill includes another amendment requiring the tarring and feathering of Representative Frank and Senators Schumer and Dodd for their roles in creating this fiasco and standing firmly athwart reform yelling "Stop!" I promise not even to complain about the $70,000 or so of debt I will be asked to take on to pay for it. Feel free to throw in your additional suggestions for tarring and feathering.
I got the idea after seeing Glenn Reynolds ask if we could get a new Congress for $700 billion. Well, why not?
Posted by Charles Austin at September 26, 2008 03:19 PM