Let's tell the US Government why we, the taxpayers, deserve a bailout. I am requesting 25K bailout

[Hawkeye-X]

to break even from corrupt CC companies, predatory lenders, and just plain bad companies that likes to fuck with me. I will pledge not to use my credit cards ever again unless it's an emergency. It's either cash or shove it.

Hawkeye-X

[leftstreet]

1. If 350ish million Americans got $25k each, how much is that?

Carry the 1, add the...

[Occam Bandage]

4. Only 8.75 trillion dollars.

[leftstreet]

5. Bloomberg: "U.S. Pledges $7.7 Trillion to Ease Frozen Credit"

By Mark Pittman and Bob Ivry

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. government is prepared to provide more than $7.76 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers after guaranteeing $306 billion of Citigroup Inc. debt yesterday. The pledges, amounting to half the value of everything produced in the nation last year, are intended to rescue the financial system after the credit markets seized up 15 months ago.

http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=26183

Hmmm...why not just give it to us?

:shrug:

[Occam Bandage]

6. Because that would cause hyperinflation, which wouldn't really help much of anything.

Some inflation can be a good thing. Some. Giving everyone $25,000 would have a much greater inflationary impact than throwing a few trillion at backing securities. That money exists on an entirely different plane of existence.

[leftstreet]

7. Wait...what? So, if we all made $5.00 an hour, the economy would soar!

Maybe that's the plan!

[Occam Bandage]

8. Not really. That would cause massive deflation, which is even worse,

as it provides an incentive for people to not buy anything (as prices are always dropping), causing manufacturing cutbacks and further deflation.

[leftstreet]

10. Low wages are also 'an incentive for people to not buy anything'

Oh wait. That's where that credit thing comes in.

[Occam Bandage]

11. Yes. They are.

Higher wages represent a bigger slice of the pie for the working class, who spend more of their money than do the rich, leading to a better economy.

Giving everyone $25,000 would provide a similar (and much larger) leveling effect; since nothing would be produced to create value commensurate with that creation of money, it would be nothing but a redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor by declaring money less valuable and then giving everyone some more in a zero-sum fashion. That might spark some growth. It would also (I think) spark runaway inflation, which would serve little purpose but to nullify both savings and debt, and run the risk of absolutely destroying most people's purchasing power if wages don't keep up with the inflation (which they certainly wouldn't).

The bigger the decision, the bigger the unintended consequences.

[960]

2. I need $500K

400K to pay off my mortgage and debts, and a 100K bonus for running my life.
I also want a $50K bonus after I execute the payments for doing the work.

[Occam Bandage]

3. Yeah. We're Taxed Enough Already!!!!!!

[truedelphi]

9. I hereby grant you your Bailout.

So there, wasn't that easy!

And if either you or I had enough push and shove over at AIG or Goldman Sachs, it would actually come about!