Disclaimer: I didn't write this, don't necessarily believe in it...just thought it was an interesting perspective of the situation.


I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in
a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000
bonafide Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman
and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a

We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free.
So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife has $595,000.00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college – it'll be there
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car – create jobs
Invest in the market – capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance – health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks
who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company
that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out
a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.
If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!


As for AIG – liquidate it.
Sell off its parts.
Let American General go back to being American General.
Sell off the real estate.
Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.


Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can 'never work.'

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!

How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust m y fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion
We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned

instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.


Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

 

Now my viewpoint:

Eh...sounds all fine and good and certainly the American people can certainly use that money (not necessarily appropriately)...but, what is the larger picture?

My understanding is that AIG has its hands in so many things that it's collapse could have a huge adverse affect on our economy (which may very well be strengthened by placing this money into the hands of the consumer). We the people (OK the government)...own 80% of AIG now. AIG is expected to pay the money back. Are you expecting the American citizen to pay it back? AIG has the opportunity to actually give a return back to the nation. It is a good investment especially since we have the opportunity to sell of the individual components.

I know I would use that money to pay off my debts, but what about all those fools that will decide to leave their place of employment because they think they can survive off that paltry sum of money. Look at the idiots that win the lottery. They are usually bankrupt within a year. The impact on our nation could very well be devastating.

I'm a believer of teaching a man a fish rather than giving the fish. I have no interest of helping those that choose not to help themselves or are just outright too lazy. I'm not saying that our poor don't have their issues. Lord knows I've never been in that situation and very thankful that I haven't been. Their issue is a societal one and less so financial. Growing up around others who basically tell you can't succeed that they can't do better is a plague of our nation and we enable said laziness through welfare and other such programs. We should be teaching them they can do it. Plug that money into our education system. Plug into healthcare for all (with a co-pay, of course). Plug into show the American people, that we are a hardworking nation. That we are one of strength and fortitude.

I also am against the centralization of our banking system that our treasury department is trying to do now (and have been for generations). Talk about a disaster waiting to happen.

 

There's another problem with this...and it's pretty obvious...anyone find it?

 

What some people don't realize is that capitalism is a balance of risk and rewards. Also there is a learning process with respect to the rules and regulations that allow business to exist. Many years ago, Sears sold Heroin completewith a needle kit. Years later, Coca -Cola had cocaine in it. Paint had lead in it.This no longer happens because of new regulations, the same will happen in the finance industry. Just like housewives became herion junkies and coke ****** from the greed of Sears or kids became retarded due to eating lead paint, people are becoming homeless or at least in a great deal of debt due to the greed of large companies and their inability to manage risk. But this is the process. This is the new 'survival of the fittest'.

But, the truth be told, it is the insatiable appetite for consumption by the American people that have created this problem as much as AIGs inability to manage risk. The American people are also not are financial saavy as they need to be. Home loan defaults due to 120% ARM mortgages was the fuel, low interest rates adjusted to high interest rates was the spark. High energy costs sucked themoney out the people due to the war and the weaker dollar (due to low rates) and all of a sudden people became broke. The housing bubble from a few years ago caused todays problems, but AIG was to greedy and stupid to realize it.

Today as it stands, the dollar is weak, and will stay weak because we import goods and energy and export nothing but money. We manufacture nothing. The only way to get out of this current mess is to print some fake money and give it to the banks, someday it may get paid back, but not until the dollar has devalued a considerable amount.

The big question is where does this end? New rules and regulations for the financial institutions. People will have to be able to afford the homes they want to buy as well as cars and bikes. Money will be hard to come by. But the dollar will continue to weaken, all goods will cost more and next year the average american will have less money than they did last year.

The good thing is that the people of China will get richer as well as the Arabs. Probably Japan and Russia too. Anyone with something to export will be fine, so keep that in mind. When you say something like, Which is another way of saying, if you have money, **** it away. Good plan.

 

No one should get anything. Instead. Take a trillion dollars. Burn it. And convert back to the gold standard. Hell. Lets convert to a oil standard. As oil becomes more valuable so does the dollar.

 

$85 000 000 000
hmmmm - just the interest on that much money annually is more than the GDP of some small countries !
850 million in interest - maybe reduce eveyone's taxes by an equal amount, except for the execs from Enron, who've had theirs already......

 

The other issue...is that 85B/200M = $425/person not $425,000. The person that wrote this misplaced a decimal point.

 

i say if you made between 20-50k last year that money be split that way it goes to middle class and not just the weathy and not the lazy no good people...

 

that is hilarious... I really didnt even look at the numbers.. but I am damn glad that person isnt an accountant.

 

I am against the bailout

Everybody scoffed at the homeowners who "bought more than they could afford" and needed to be relieved

BUT

Most folks are in favor of relieving a sloppy company that did the exact same thing.

IF the U.S. is gonna be a true free market, capitalistic society, thenwe need to let AIG crumble and let things workthemselves out. "To make an omlet, you have to break a few eggs", right?

If the U.S. is gonna pick and choose when it's wants to be "capitalistic" always at the expense of the people, then we need to call a spade a spade and quit pretending that we care more about the American people than money.