What Do I Care?

A Liberty Reborn Exclusive

The entire fiasco going on right now involving banks, investment houses and other financial institutions can be summed up with a simple four word question; “What do I care?” Yes, this question applies to the attitude exhibited by nearly all involved from those in government, to those that ran these businesses to the very people themselves that put their money into these institutions or took out loans they could not afford and knew they could not afford. For years they have been applying an attitude of simply, “What do I care?”

Those people running the banks and investment houses said, “What do I care?” And why should they have cared? They knew with almost certainty that the government would not let them fail to save the money of everyone that was invested with them and who had entrusted them to be responsible with their investments.

Those in government said, “What do I care?” And why should they have cared? They have shredded the Constitution for years and gotten away with it. They knew that they would probably be allowed to once again do something beyond their authority and get at least grudging support from those scared as to what might happen when their bank or financial institution fails.

The investing public said, “What do I care?” And why should they have cared? They had been lulled into a sense of false security where claims of government “insured” deposits and investments made them believe that they were entitled to get their money back even if they made bad choices about where to place that money.

Those that wanted a house, car or an education at some institution of higher learning but could not reasonable afford one said, “What do I care?” And why should they have cared? They were offered easy money and they knew all too well that if they screamed and stomped their feet enough as they were failing to keep up with their payments, it was likely someone from the government would try to help them out in exchange for their vote and loyalty.

Those that made the bad loans said, “What do I care?” And why should they have cared? The federal government coerced them into making these bad loans and government institutions were willing to buy up the bad paper they were issuing without question. Besides, those at the top of each company would only be there for a couple of years before they could retire with a nice golden parachute attached to their backs after cooking the books. And maybe a presidential candidate would even make them an advisor to his or her campaign!

The enemy in all this mess? Is it not clear? We have seen the face of the enemy – the enemy is us.

We have been irresponsible. But what did we care?

We have violated basic laws of economics. But what did we care?

We have socialized whole segments of the economy to try to save ourselves from ourselves. But what did we care?

Well boys and girls, we had better start caring. Because there is no adult with deep pockets to bail us out of this one and give us a dollar to buy that candy bar we cannot afford no matter how loudly we scream at the top of our lungs in the checkout line.

Oh, and it gets worse. I cannot believe the talk that I am hearing from people who would normally be counted on to be fiscally conservative and who are talking about proposed government bailouts, with tax payer dollars we do not have, and as though they are necessary. Granted, some are doing so with a grudging sigh which belies that they know it is not a good idea. But they are still going right along and hopping on board the magical money train that is preparing to leave the station.

I suppose that I should tell them that what they think is a train that will take us to safety is really just a cardboard cutout with nothing holding it up but a few government employees pulling down exorbitant salaries. All of you supporting this latest scheme by the government will learn this soon enough that there is nothing on the other side as you walk on board and promptly fall to the tracks below.

I have not said it in a while, but I think it bears repeating at this very instance. When people are up against the wall is when we find out what their true economic beliefs are. Right now a lot of people who painted themselves as believers in capitalism are showing that they are truly some shade of Marxist and preaching some ideology or another from socialism to communism. Why? Because their ass is in the fire now and they have failed their trial.

Which is so very odd. It is odd because my ass is in the same fire. I sit each and every day listening to the radio and watching television and those people who I was told, at least by their own lips, were conservatives and capitalists now talking about having to do something to stop this pending crash. I hear presidential candidates who are running around trying to gain support from their conservative base sounding so dejected and proclaiming that while it may not be the greatest thing to do, that something must be done. Yet every day I am sitting there, yelling at these so called conservatives who cannot hear me that this is not the answer.

People fear what will happen if the economy crashes. It is a justified fear. And they have let that fear turn them to the dark side.

I am still sitting here, with my ass in the same fire as every other American, because all of you have dragged me along despite my own best efforts. You have tied the same anchor around my leg that you have tied around yours. I am saying that the option is not to bail out these banks and institutions with hundreds of billions of dollars. I am saying proudly and loudly that the option, the only viable option that will not lead us to bigger government and more failed political policies, is to cut loose the anchor and ditch the stupid regulations that are tying us down. Then, if these institutions still fail, let them fail!

No, I am not some rich guy with millions of dollars in gold stashed away in some off shore account and who would not be hurt by the crash that would result from such actions. But I am someone that believes, truly believes, in what I say and will not abandon those principles as easily as others have because some have distorted the markets and the economy for political power and created a panic that could be solved by cutting loose the anchor. And I am confident that I am better prepared to survive the crash compared to all of you that kept neglecting your own duties and responsibilities.

What we have right now is not a failure of capitalism. What we have is a failure of socialism. If you doubt that, think about how much government control goes into everything that happens in a given day and how much regulation is heaped upon us, the American public, in the name of doing something and exerting control over businesses and the economy to protect us from our own selves.

Let the banks that are failing because they are bad banks, fail. Let the mortgage lenders that are failing because they are bad mortgage lenders, fail. Let the investment houses that are failing because they are bad investment houses, fail. Let people that did not take a couple minutes to think about which bank to put their hard earned savings in and who just rushed out to any bank on any corner because they saw that little FDIC insurance guarantee, fail.

Let us fail. Let us all fail! It is the only way we will learn! Only when we fail, and fail proudly, will we reject the rampant socialism that has strangled us and made us complacent.

Let those of us that actually took a little responsibility in our own lives, researched how to invest our money and put some effort into making our lives better fail a little bit less than those that did none of the above. Let us float by casting off the anchor of oppressive government regulation. Then use courts to go after those companies that claim to be “bankrupt” while stashing away $2.5 billion dollars to pay bonuses to the employees that drove the ship into the iceberg. Use that money to pay off their debts to the people they have not served well.

That lesson, if taught, would send shockwaves through our pseudo-socialist economy.

Let us take responsibility. If we deserve to fail, let us fail. And let us fail proudly! Then let us practice our God given right to pick ourselves back up again and learn from our mistakes. And if you are one of those that fail again because you did not learn your lesson, let us hope that you do not drag the rest of us down with you again by demanding another anchor be placed upon us because you were not responsible.

Is such a solution just a dream? Sadly, in this nightmare that has consumed the American public where everyone is now clamoring with his or her hand out and asking government to save them from themselves, it is dream that possibly will never be dreamt. And really what do we care? Sure we are in a hand basket and traveling on the road to Hell, but at least the road has been paved with good intentions and the trip is paid for.

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This article is a Liberty Reborn exclusive and may not be reprinted without purchase of a license. To obtain a license please contact Mr. Jackson at jackson@libertyreborn.com