I am willing to accept a bailout of AIG and the rest of them

[question everything]

just as I am willing to help all the irresponsible people who purchased a home, or two, that they could not afford. Because when they fall, it cascades across the economy - full flush, not "trickle down."

But these should be under strict conditions:

Cancel any golden parachute for any executive. Cancel all the bonuses. Even if, especially if, they bring the company back to solvency. Their "reward" should be the actions themselves and a nice paragraph in their resumes.

Cut their salaries to the bones. Enough with those multi million dollars compensations, win or lose. OK, $850K? And if they cannot afford their multi million dollars Manhattan penthouse, or a summer home in Aspen - they can sell them, to bargain hunters.

And, if and when the companies are back on their feet, they should reimburse us for at least a certain percentage of our investment in them.

Oh, and dismiss their boards of directors. Let a federal appointee run them. Call this nationalization, communism, I don't care. We who foot the bills call the shots.

[Skink]

1. The republicans are socializing now before the Dems come in and regulate.

[colorado thinker]

2. Absolutely!

Kicked and recommended!

[Birthmark]

3. No bailouts

This is collapse is a part of capitalism. Unless we socialize the profits, we shouldn't socialize the losses. The American Public deserves to know exactly what capitalism is, bad as well as good.

[question everything]

4. Nice thoughts, but will never happen

Most Americans do not hate the rich; they want to be the rich. Which is why we will never have a revolution here. People still believe in the myth of "the American Dream," and when it does not realize, they go in search of someone to blame: government, women, minorities, etc.

Of course, when things are down, they call for government for help.