So, we're suffering the effects of stupid people with money taking huge risks and doing some financial juggling. Why they did it and how they did it is irrelevant, but the response among most is, rightly, "They fu**ed up and should pay the price for their failure. They borrowed too much, they didn't do their due diligence, they got in over their heads, they made too many mistakes. They should suffer the consequences of those poor choices."

I couldn't agree more. Let them fail. It won't be Armageddon.

Contrast that assessment with the assessment we get from the left of the political spectrum when it comes to poor people borrowing too much, not doing their due diligence, getting in over their heads, and making too many mistakes. Should they suffer the consequences of those poor choices? Of course not. They're the virtuous poor. Their mistakes (like dropping out of high school, having babies before having a job, putting their big screen T.V.'s on their Best Buy credit cards, buying new spinners for their Escalades) are reasons to take money from those who have it and give it to those who don't. Their mistakes are not the cause of their position. Their mistakes are the effect of the Man keeping them down. We shouldn't keep them down.

We need to provide them with higher education, because everyone knows those who could never hack highschool will certainly succeed in college. We need to provide them with child care so they can work, so everyone who did the latter before the former needs to pony up and pay for "free" childcare. We need to make it easier for them to borrow money because not everyone owns a house - and everyone should have the right to own a home. Of course, their inability to pay back those loans is not their fault. It's the fault of the greedy Fat Cats who loaned them that money. And as we've seen, greedy Fat Cats must pay for their mistakes.

I've noticed on this forum that strawman arguements don't go over well. Something you should think about in the future.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

Did you actually have a point, or is just the Daily Soapbox Minute?

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All things serve The Beam

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to remember it if I ever present a strawman argument.

Part both. Both of which would be lost on you.

I'll go look for my straight-out-of-central-casting, laughably-tired-cliche decoder ring and read it again.

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All things serve The Beam

[ding!} And they're offf........it's cato on the rail with Tanngrisnir3 coming up on the outside.................wait........ Ajax is making an inside charge............looks like it's going to be a photo finish folks

Another insult thread derby!

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I think all interested parties should be held to face the consequences. The banks for allowing predatory loans. The stupid people who fell for the scam. And the government for not regulating the financial system to prevent these things from happening.

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown

You need slack.

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All things serve The Beam

No doubt. Funny how people with nothing to add think they're contributing by actually adding it.

I agree everyone should suffer the consequences of their poor choices. Do you think this extends to those who choose to purchase luxuries (like cars, T.V.'s, microwave ovens, eating out, babies, etc.) rather than necessities (like healthcare and education)?

If the didn't allow those loans, they'd be accused of being racist.

Kramer

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“It's time to admit that public education operates like a planned economy, a bureaucratic system in which everybody's role is spelled out in advance and there are few incentives for innovation and productivity. It's no surprise that our school system doesn't improve; it more resembles the communist economy than our own market economy."
Albert Shanker, former president of the American Federation of Teachers

No kiddin, it's part of a balanced diet.

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O + O = O We're all in this together .

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Wow, so the scam artists are actually the victims?

Andrew

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Ethanol is a fabulous solution to our energy dilemma because it will provide more fuel for us to drive around and look for food.

-- Unknown