Way down upon the Potomac River, a couple of oboomers rock on the veranda of a big white house, awkwardly thumbing their Blackberries and eating fried polar bear.

"Can you believe it," says Uncle Rubin, waving a hefty drumstick, "I totally destroyed the financial system, and now I'm back in charge of it!"

"Heh!" chimes in Ol' Larry. "You had everybody fooled with that self-effacing shuffle, meanwhile, you effaced the entire middle class!"

"Damn right," says Uncle Rubin. "At this very moment those poor folks are 'bailing out' my goddamn yacht!"

"Ah, shit," snorts Ol' Larry, "we'll stimulate those losers with some good old-fashioned labor. Here's a shovel, there's a pick, and pretty soon we'll plant an interstate right up Salazar’s lily-green ass and ram it out Yosemite."

"Pave Paradise, put up a parking lot!"

"Damn right! Put a spigot on Old Faithful and sell Mother Nature by the liter."

"Now that's what I call bust a cap and trade!" says Uncle Rubin. "A strong economy is required for a strong environment! Desperate times call for desperate measures, damn right."

"Change that we can believe in. Meaning, no change. Speaking of no change, here comes Spanky Bernanke! You sure look tired Spanker."

Spanky settles into a rocker with a sigh. "Well, it ain't so easy selling the country to the Chinese. Fucking commies demand a bargain! I just want make sure we all get our cut and then we can move our own asses to Hong Kong."

"I'm thinking Dubai," says Ol' Larry. "Y'know, like Bill Clinton or Michael Jackson."

"Exactly,” agrees Uncle Rubin. “Now, if you gentleman will excuse me, I need to transfer more tax revenue from workers into the pockets of suffering CEOs."

"That's called tough love," says Spanky.

"That's called tough shit," says Uncle Rubin. He makes a few vicious jabs on his Blackberry. "Done and done!"

The oboomers laugh. “Hey Spankster,” says Ol’ Larry, “what’s the market in China for polar bear gall bladders?”

"Hey, I gotta an even eviler idea!" says Uncle Rubin.

"If your idea is as evil as telling Daschle those ruby red spectacles would make him look manly, it has to be evil." asks Spanky.

"Even better! Let's make Baby Boy Geithner announce Boomer Bailout Pt. Deux!" says Uncles Rubin.

"Oh yeah! And let's say 'his' plan PREVAILED OVER OUR OBJECTIONS" shouts Ol' Larry.

"Hell yeah! Baby Boy will be our bag man!" says Uncle Rubin.

"As in Left-Holding-the-Bag-Man." says Spanky.

"As in Couldn't-Punch-His-Way-Out-Of-a-Paper-Bag-Man." says Ol' Larry.

"As in paper or plastic either way you're screwed, man." says Uncle Rubin.

"As in let's print more paper, and our children can live on plastic, man." says Spanky.

“Got an more evil ideas?” asks Ol' Larry.

“Are you ready?” says Uncle Rubin.

“Yes sir!” say Spanky and Ol' Larry.

“Imagine: Bernie Madoff, Social Security Czar!” shouts Uncle Rubin

Spanky and Ol' Larry could only gape in wonder, bear grease dripping from their several chins.

You'd have to go back to Abraham and Isaac to find a better story of a jealous father wielding a knife against an upstart son. If our current story follows the same plot, Giethner will be spared--but we'll be the scapegoats.

But, is Leonard right? Was this all part of an overarching plan by the "smooth-sailing" Obama administration? Hey, that could explain how Geithner sailed through his confirmation hearings--the boomer elites needed a patsy and Geithner was it.

But, was Geithner in on the joke? If so, move over Mickey Rourke, another ugly ass dude wants your Oscar.

Of course, we are talking about a generation that is cynical enough to spend money on "school construction" even as it prepares to eat its grandchildren. I suppose it makes sense: students these days are kept penned up inside and as closely monitored as piglets in a farrowing barn. And they're definitely getting fatter. I imagine we'll see the "construction" of lots more security cams, security gates, and testing to keep the next generation in line until they are forced to work forever. Maybe granny and grandpa can send some local crafts from their condo in the Caymans at Christmas.

None of this is gonna work without sacrficing democracy, if not now, then in the future. Leonard has it exactly backwards.

We are in a value crisis. The "credit crunch" was a symptom at best. "Toxic assets" is closer, but a just an extreme example. Only months ago Americans were chastized for not saving enough. Today we are criticized for not spending enough. The government is trying to trick us on both ends, by capitalizing the banks (with fake money) and spending both directly and (eventually) through tax cuts/credits. Keynes is laughing up his diabolical sleeve.

No. The government must create value in this economy, not empty transactions with play money. And it can. The theory exists, and the experience is rooted in the 40s and 50s and 80s, not the 30s.

Think Leonard, think.