Nobody has yet explained to me why a bottom up "bailout" would be less effective than

[Winterblues]

Bailing out the biggest companies in the world while the tax payers still suffer great losses. Why couldn't the Government loan at zero or very low interest, directly to homeowners or small business and let them pay off their debts which should in turn make those big banks and financial institutes profitable once again? I seem to recall Obama mentioning something about bottom up help, but haven't seen evidence of anything like it. So far everything and I mean over a trillion dollars has only gone to the very TOP and is somehow supposed to "Trickle Down" to us..It didn't work when the Republicans tried it, why should we think it will work now?

[shireen]

1. because it won't benefit the rich. nt

[soothsayer]

2. I guess because our debt is all owed overseas and that's how we're

causing the global economic collapse, and that's why AIG's money is almost all going overseas. But I'm skeptical and just think that we're being robbed robbed robbed.

[w4rma]

3. Because you're right. We are just being robbed. (nt)

[havocmom]

4. Reason: No bonuses for bozos!

Bozos who caused the wrecked economy MUST get bonuses! It's in their contracts!!!1!11!!!

[denem]

5. Paying off debt actually freezes the system.

Banks don't loan existing money. They create money with loans. The credit crunch is pulling in /writing off existing loans, and refusing new ones. Money = debt = money etc.

[jwirr]

6. However, isn't the selling of these loans part of the problem?

[Democrats_win]

7. Farmers are suffering from drought--without them, we starve. Bail them out!

It fits with Bernanke's 60 minute interview where his logic is that we must help the bankers or our houses will burn down. But without the farmers we will all starve.

Here's the reality: we MUST save the bankers, while the farmers have been globalized so we don't really need to save them. Of course, eventually we WILL starve because we won't have the resources to purchase grapes from Chili or Olive oil from Italy.

What's best in the long run? Who knows, but it's not what we're doing now.

[anonymous171]

8. FYI He's not trying to stimulate the economy, he's trying to save it (in its current form)

I like your idea though.

[closeupready]

9. If it isn't clear by now, Wall Street owns our government.

Has for some time. Obama and his people are just obeying orders. Bankers get bailed out with taxpayer money, little people pay taxes. Very simple.