Chum

Checking in on the ol' social networks this morning, I saw this tweet from Iowahawk (who has nearly abandoned blogging for the Twitter platform, and is a true Master):

When government gives you money to pay your mortgage to a bank, they're not doing it to help you.

No kidding. TARP just bypassed the customers and fed the hungry maws of the banks directly. Too big to fail, remember? Then I saw this editorial cartoon by Tony Auth.

Which is about right, but Tony (who has a decidedly liberal bent) really missed the point - our Hope and Change Government is chumming the waters ahead of the underwater mortgage holders. Frankly, Tony would have this cartoon right if it were people who successfully pay their mortgages doing the swimming - they're the ones that will have to pay the bills of those who cannot pay, and will continue to get assistance, plus the banks whining about getting into trouble again ought to trigger yet another round of stimulus money hot off the presses.

Sharks as a metaphor for banks is apropos - they are just doing what they do. Mindless search for profit, no ethical controls since they are the big fish in the pond with no other controls - they are just getting what they paid for. Paid with our money directly and profits diverted from truly growing our economy towards corrupt politicians. Corrupt politicians. Sorry, repeated myself there.