“We can't constantly explain to our voters that taxpayers have to be on the hook for certain risks, rather than those who make a lot of money taking those risks.”

You have to love government by OPM (other people's money) In Amerika, by no-less than the supreme court, the government is an organic hegemony with inherent rights, in toto aloof from We The People. They spend debt as though it was real money and We, as fiscal slaves, risk at the end of a gun.

Money is like water. Where there is plenty of it it flows freely. Most "rich" people know this. And salesmen know how easy it is to sell to someone who has money as compared to the alternative. You cannot get blood from turnip or water from a stone. The fortunate thing for poor people is they get to live 24 hours a day just like the more affluent. Obviously money has to go from it is not needed to where it is needed. Merkel is correct but did not explain it very well.

Perfect - instead of giving these criminals bonus in the millions send them to prison.

Waffler, it's as plain as the nose on your face. She's talking about bailouts. That philosophy is why Germany is doing so much better than America in this economic downturn. The U.S. is the worst off out of 9 countries. Google International Unemployment Rates to see the chart.

That's right. Why should a bank that has made hundreds of billions of dollars in profits be bailed out when the bubble bursts? Every major business must evaluate the risks in their business -- some plans cannot succeed. If the theory goes that some businesses are too big to fail, then we are essentially setting up monopolies. Businesses have life cycles, just like people do -- they may not live forever, their products/services may no longer be needed or competively priced. If corporations can get lawmakers to subsidize their private profits, once again we see that government is not levelling the playing field but rigging the game. It has become way too common a practice for failing corporations to demand taxpayer money (actually, since government has already spent that, too, the govt borrows more money to bailout the bank so that it can keep soaking customers for more profits). This is NOT capitalism, this is cronyism. Creating private monopolies for private profits is unlawful, unconstitutional, and a corruption of government. Most of the time the corporation can well survive instead of getting a bailout -- but if they can get money from the government, they will of course try. In fact, the name of the game in a fiat monetary system is bail outs! They take their profits and make the taxpayers take the losses. In a socialist government, everyone has their hand out as the government wants everyone to be dependent upon them for their very needs. Now it seems that 'credit' is something we all must have -- forget about 'capital' they don't want us to have any of that, they just want us to owe them. Bail outs are a total scam.

You are correct Carol but do you know or care that most of the bailout money is being repaid plus. GM is ready to issue stock etcetera. The US economy is doing great if only the corporations that are rolling in currency would spend it for a little more hiring effort. Those who are against the current Admin will never admit that the country is doing better.

Waffler, doing better than what? Since Mr. Obamunist Goodwrench the assassin has taken over, more businesses have closed than the number of stores have opened. Unemployment has risen until almost half the working force is out of work with about 65% of children are now on some form of government assistance. The police, with there unwarranted seizures, have become the largest organized crime organization in the country (bigger than all the rest combined). Racism is worse, hate is on the rise (left and right) and rape by foreigners is skyrocketing beyond count. The businesses that are left are leaving the country at a break-neck speed. What is better?

Inordinate affection has brought the sovereign individual to a state of destruction world wide. Inordinate affection vs Natural love. Monopolies of merchants seeking the highest price, with no regard for Natural law, seeing it is side stepped through/by corruption and privilege granted by the Governmental ruling classes. Who own the monopolies. The god of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, will and is gathering together the riches of this world. Prophetic indeed. Unity of the knowledge of the God of gods, a fulfillment of the experiment put forth by our Founding Fathers, seeing it is the most suppressed of all knowledge concerning Liberty and Freedom in its Natural state and Spiritual form. Never forget, it is total foolishness to think a so-called thriving economy represents Liberty and Freedom, When hearth and home belong to the State.

Sounds pretty collectivist to me