The government bailouts of various companies is pushing us toward socialism. The federal government has purchased equity stakes in many financial companies and is "investing" in GM and Chrysler as well.
Given the notable financial successes of the federal government such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Federal Budget, I think that Congress and the President are the least well suited institutions to decide how to invest capital even if we accept that it is a proper function of government. There is only one government institution well suited to and experienced with handling financially distressed companies and individuals: Bankruptcy Court. Through bankruptcy, the financially failing companies and individuals can either restructure their debt or liquidate assets and discharge debt in order to get a fresh start. This would allow assets to be properly valued quickly and would allow the economy to improve again based on realistic valuations of assets. The bailouts simply postpone the day of reckoning and maintain uncertainty about the true value of assets in financially failing companies' portfolios.
The massive government intervention in the economy is threatening us with further economic deterioration and loss of individual liberty. The current bailouts assume that the Congress and Treasury Department are better at managing and restructuring bankrupt companies than Bankruptcy Courts and are better judges of how to invest taxpayer money than individual taxpayers. Neither of these assumptions is reasonable. That means the bailouts will bring more government control since investments will need political approval as well as investor approval (government will dictate rules as a condition for financial support just as is done to states with road construction funds) and that we taxpayers will be forced to participate in the US Bailout Mutual Fund instead of choosing our own investments.
These bailouts need to stop. The existing bailouts should be reversed as quickly as possible.
Given the notable financial successes of the federal government such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Federal Budget, I think that Congress and the President are the least well suited institutions to decide how to invest capital even if we accept that it is a proper function of government. There is only one government institution well suited to and experienced with handling financially distressed companies and individuals: Bankruptcy Court. Through bankruptcy, the financially failing companies and individuals can either restructure their debt or liquidate assets and discharge debt in order to get a fresh start. This would allow assets to be properly valued quickly and would allow the economy to improve again based on realistic valuations of assets. The bailouts simply postpone the day of reckoning and maintain uncertainty about the true value of assets in financially failing companies' portfolios.
The massive government intervention in the economy is threatening us with further economic deterioration and loss of individual liberty. The current bailouts assume that the Congress and Treasury Department are better at managing and restructuring bankrupt companies than Bankruptcy Courts and are better judges of how to invest taxpayer money than individual taxpayers. Neither of these assumptions is reasonable. That means the bailouts will bring more government control since investments will need political approval as well as investor approval (government will dictate rules as a condition for financial support just as is done to states with road construction funds) and that we taxpayers will be forced to participate in the US Bailout Mutual Fund instead of choosing our own investments.
These bailouts need to stop. The existing bailouts should be reversed as quickly as possible.
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