I'm serious. If the 700 billion dollar "rescue" won't stop things from skidding, yet puts us ever deeper in the hole, shouldn't we tear up the check? What would Congress and/or the executive branch have to do to put a halt to the payment?

... I'm sure the group some Obama acquaintance hung out with 40 years ago must have had something to do with the economic crisis.

After all, it's not like it could have anything whatsoever to do with deregulation policies pushed by people like President Bush and Senator McCain. Suggesting something like that is simply hateful muslem terrist libral socialest talk.

Go John McCain! He's a mavericky POW!

Lots of folks aren't well-informed on modern economics. I think part of the reason is because of the technical jargon used by men like Bernanke and Greenspan.

It's always a good idea to recalibrate definitions during times of upheaval.

If "subdued" = "global economic chaos"

*then*

softening = collapse

weakening = collapse

correction = collapse

bubble burst = REALLY RAPID collapse

uncertainty = panic

jitters = massive value drop in all asset-classes

recession = global depression

Keeping these terms in mind as you read the business pages may be useful.

to this collapse, it might be that McCain's "strategy" (or is it a tactic?) bears little to no fruit. It is far past time when this pathetic Rovian game of assaulting the character of the opponent be brought to an end. And it is, moreover, a tellingly pathetic reminder of a poorly educated populace that finds itself persuaded by these inane attacks. Let us hope that, after tonight, the majority of the voting population sees with at least a modicum of clarity the challenges that confront us. Perhaps then we can--shockingly!--attempt to address them.

Every time McCain says naive or "Obama doesn't understand", you drink.

Every time Obama says refers to the McCain/Bush anything, you drink.

Every time either of them changes the subject instead of answering a direct question, finish your glass.

This may not do anything to solve the financial crisis, but at least we'll all be able to forget about it for a while.

re: "What would Congress and/or the executive branch have to do to put a halt to the payment?"

Why would they do that? This heist of $700+ billion was never intended to be for the benefit of "the people". It was for lining the pockets of the global banksters.

This collapse has been many years in the planning and execution. The rich, inbred Skull and Bones bastards have purposely brought this about, in order to bring everyone to their knees and force them to accept a complete dismantling of the America we all knew and loved in favor of their fantasy of global domination -- by themselves, naturally.

The imperial grand strategy is based on the assumption that the United States can gain “full spectrum dominance” through military programs that dwarf those of any potential coalition and that have useful side effects. One is to socialize the costs and risks of the private economy of the future, a traditional contribution of military spending and the basis of much of the “new economy.” Another is to contribute to a fiscal train wreck that will, it is presumed, “create powerful pressures to cut federal spending, and thus, perhaps, enable the administration to accomplish its goal of rolling back the New Deal,” a description of the Reagan program that is now being extended to far more ambitious plans.

-Noam Chomsky, Dominance and Its Dilemmas

http://www.bostonreview.net/BR28.5/chomsky.html

I will probably be passed out on potato vodka before it even starts, but I will be drinking in my dreams...

Is there a consensus as to the cause(s) of the financial trainwreck?

It seems to me that the public is not convinced that Washington fully understands the problem nor what to do about it.

John McCain recently stated that "the economy is strong" as did Dumbya.

It is no wonder that folks are scared.

I think we can guess what is going to be on the top of the list of concerns for attendees at tonight's Town Hall debate

Yes, but if there are 90 questions about the economy and one question about Ayers which question do you think Brokaw will pick to ask?

"I, John McCain will cut your taxes to near zero and get out of the way of private enterprise to fix this. Now is not the time to burden strapped companies with Barack Obama's communist socialist terrorist plan to raise taxes on everyone."

The fridge door is making funny noises, and it doesn't seal right. AND the fridge was new in 1993. In any other economy, we'd go buy a fridge. OK, not really buy it, but get some screaming deal on one year, same as cash, or whatever. To the appliance store, it's sold.

However... add in more credit card debt than I'd care to mention (ok not a ton, but more than we should have which would be ZERO), and my ongoing worry about everything financial... and we're off to hunt for a new door seal and see if we can fix it and live with it a while longer. Other things take priority like getting the car repaired and getting the dog's tooth pulled.

We're not buying a new fridge. We can make the old one work somehow.

How does that effect ripple across the economy? I can't imagine I'm the only one out here in reality land who is delaying purchases of any kind, and calculating how many meals we can make with all the odds and ends in the pantry.

take over the banks that are refusing to loan money. There is a lot of information to the effect that banks aren't even loaning money to good credit risks. That doesn't make any sense, and if they won't do it, someone should. banks are in business to make money by making loans at interest. Their refusal to do so harms individuals, businesses, the economy generally and the banks themselves. If done correctly, in combination with a request to Congress for temporary power to do so, the President probably has the power to take over the running of the banks. Because they are behaving in ways that are irresponsible to everyone and the economy generally, the federal government should take over those banks and operate them until this crisis passes or until bank officers make clear their intention to start lending again.