The AIG outrage is understandable.  Americans are well within their right to protest the use of funds by criminally-inept businessmen in a dying company which we were forced to become 80% owners of (despite overwhelming opposition).  That being said, it makes me sick to my stomach to listen to all the empty rhetoric coming from Washington about this.  Why is all our outrage aimed at AIG?  Why do we not direct a large bulk of that rage towards our elected leaders, who KNEW about this long ago.  Not only did they know about it, but politicians such as Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) made sure to protect these bonuses by sticking in provisions to the stimulus bill.  I suppose those kinds of things happen when Congress accepts a bill without reading it first.  (Makes you wonder what else was plugged into the stimulus bill.)  Now, everyone is calling for AIG's blood.  We are angry that they were not fiscally responsible with our money.  THEY WEREN'T FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH THEIR OWN MONEY!  If these people knew how to manage money properly, we wouldn't have had to bail them out in the first place.  We should have expected this type of moronic behavior from them.  If your dog gets into your closet and destroys your shoes, is it his fault?  Perhaps it is the fault of the owner who left their shoes on the floor and the closet door open, and assumed that the dog will reason that the shoes hold value to its owner and therefore should not damage them.  Come on!  President Obama knew about this, Geithner knew about this, hell everyone knew about this.  They are getting a free pass on this for some reason.  Perhaps these "Leaders" who are just sooo angry right now can make an effort to show their solidarity with the People by donating the contributions that AIG made to their campaigns to charities which will increasingly be the life support for millions of Americans who lost their jobs, many thanks to AIG.  Politicians such as President Obama or Sen. Dodd who both received over $100k from AIG.  Why would we expect something like that though, from the Congress which receives automatic pay raises every year.  There is something brewing within the American People and we are all starting to get a whif of it.  While Obama governs on a policy of "hope", let us show our Government what something real looks like, for instance... VOTING THEM OUT!

by Thomas Craig

by Thomas Craig

"I have the right to... have a home, have a car, have money given to me for retirement, have all my bills paid, have cable, have welfare, have everything and anything that somebody else has worked hard for."  Well I'm sorry but you really DON'T!  You certainly have rights.  You have the rights to Life, Liberty, and the PURSUIT of Happiness.  Hmm, that one word is pretty sneaky.  You have to admit, the words Life, Liberty, and Happiness are all inspirational and strong.  The Founding Fathers knew something about these ideals.  They had fought a bloody war of rebellion against their government, just to achieve them.  However, the Founding Fathers were not stupid.  They realized, as Thomas Jefferson so eloquently put it, "A Government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have."  In their wisdom, they opted to modify what was never a realistic ability for them to grant which is assuring happiness.  Instead, they guaranteed every American the right to pursue their own happiness, whatever you deem that to be, as long as it does not interfere with anothers rights. 

Americans need to get over this "entitlement" issue.  You do not have a right to own a home.  In fact, most people probably should not take on that responsibility. (Most likely myself included)  We have backed ourselves into a dark corner where we cannot withdraw all the "blessings" which our Government has given us.  These blessings, all too often, are mismanaged and poorly ran by our Leaders.  You want to keep more in your paycheck?  Sorry, we need to pay an endless and ever-growing commitment of Social Security payments.  Did we mention that it's broke and you will spend your life trying to replenish it?  You want universal healthcare?  Well, after the great job the Government did with Medicare and Medicaid, you think they will do much better when it comes to your child's fever or your Mother's chemotherapy?  Is this really what you want?  You want the Government, who has their Treasury overseen by a man who could not do his own taxes, running every aspect of your life?  If you do, then you need to think deeply about the history and founding of this Nation.

I'm sorry but you are not entitled to my wallet.  That job has already been claimed by my Wife and even she prefers to use her own money before mine.  This problem is only going to get worse as the generation currently in College and younger believe that they deserve everything and anything, caused by a generation of Parents who catered to their every whim and did not think to encourage work ethic.  Generation X was filled with wannabe musicians, actors, and filmmakers who imagined working hard at their craft and hitting it big.  This is now replaced with a generation of Paris Hiltons who don't want to accomplish anything other than having a camera follow them around as they brush their teeth and make sex videos, mistaking both of them as acheivements.  To those who take the stability and strength of America for granted, it is time to wake up.

by Thomas Craig

The market is currently down almost 400 points.  Do you know why?  It's because of the clusterf*** on Capitol Hill.  Treasury Secretary Geithner is explaining his Plan about how they are forming a plan.  Its the Bank Plan about nothing!  Sen. Shelby (R-AL) seems to be the only one on the Senate Banking Committee who understands this.  Geithner is laying out an idea- an idea that the Banks need to be fixed.  How and when are not currently part of the plan.  This is unbelievable.  The market tanked today because the market has no clue what is going on.  Geithner wants to take troubled assets, sit on them like an egg, and then miraculously they are going to turn into gold.  Even if Geithners magic pixie dust does work, nobody in the private sector knows or understands what exactly is going on.  In the meantime, money is just going to keep being thrown at the problem.  The credit crisis and banking industry are in trouble and need help?  Well thank you Mr. Secretary.  America didn't realize that.  We do thank you for informing us that there is a plan to come up with a plan though.  It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.