Did America just win the lottery and not tell me?

Really, where is all this make believe money going to come from?

I am reading up on bailout-mania.

If these idiotic ideas pass, the only realistic outcome is the complete devaluation of the American dollar. Think of Zimbabwe or Italy's problem with the Lira. There are acts of complete financial irresponsibility being considered that boggle the mind.

America became a strong, prosperous nation because we let the market work. Now, it seems that only bad ideas are being rewarded. The rest of us are beginning to feel like suckers. Why am I paying my mortgage when I may soon have more rights by not paying it?

For years, conservatives and economists have predicted that the UAW's pension funding will kill the big Three. Now, great, instead of killing that bad idea, we get to prop it up.

The solution is pain. Short and hard. Kill the gangrene, feed the living. Instead, well, we are going to tax and regulate the fuck out of any profitable business in America and let the cancer grow deeper in the rest.

I can't believe that I grew up in a country where one of the core beliefs was free trade and personal and professional responsibility has now sold out those ideals and is racing towards the bad ideas that have nearly destroyed the rest of the world. It's not like we are going full on, death camp socialism next week, but even Western Europe is waking up from the 5 decade long infatuation with the welfare state. But no, these ideas keep getting pushed on us. And, thanks to some failure on the part of America's intellectuals and opinion leaders, we are going to get a taste of all these bad ideas.

As an aside, I also wonder how "bailing" out the three American automakers affects our Free Trade Agreements with other countries. Could this also mark the dawn of a new age of protectionism? (that would be bad for way too many reasons)

Finally, my hope for change is that now with the baby tantrum party in charge of things, that they'll grow up. The loyal opposition rode Mark Foley and a host of embarrassing Republicans into power. The Democrats associated intellectual vanity with their brand label, so that voting Democrat is as much of a fashion statement (and an act of political reasoning) as choosing to wear what Vogue tells Carrie Bradshaw.

I don't think they will. All indications point to a party in control with no fucking clue how the world operates outside a hyper legalistic perspective.

Is it the end of the world as we know it?

Yes, but it turns out that that happened a long time ago.

And truth be told I blame all the usual suspects.

Bush 41 and 43 for being such inarticulate defenders of this land's source of prosperity.

Ted Kennedy for opening up the floodgates to generations of immigrants who, through no fault of their own, were enmeshed in a public school system that taught them to hate this country in the guise of multiculturalism. Add some of this blame to McCain because he wants to join in on the systematic firing of the voters. It's a neat trick in a democracy, if you find the present citizenry too "reactionary," go ahead and bring in 50 million new citizens to tip the scales the other way.

So, the culture's changed, the economy's going to change, and who knows what else.

These upcoming decisions are going change the world because America will effectively slit her wrists. The thing is, the baby tantrum party has this mushy and naive view of the world where every potential opposing super power isn't that bad. But they are. The world will not be better off with an ascending Russia or China or Iran. And what isms will replace Americanism? Well, we know there is the Mohamedism of Iran, the facsism of China, the thugism of Russia, the nanny statism of Europe, and god knows that communism and socialism are always ready to intoxicate a people's "intellectuals" with dreams of ruling over the red staters.