Looks like I'm going to be wiped out. Thanks

[itsrobert]

:(

[Subdivisions]

1. Please explain. We need to know how this affects people. n/t

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Egnever]

2. Sorry to hear it

welcome to my world

[wildbilln864]

10. mine too! nt

:hi:

[OhioChick]

16. Same here. n/t

[Iwasthere]

3. What do you mean?

Specifics??

[adigal]

4. I was wondering how I was ever convinced

to put my money into the stock markets, anyway. Ludicrous.

[melody]

5. Don't feel badly. I've lost about 5% of everything, too :(

But at least big mouths get to be right!

[TBF]

36. For once the people of this country are right - the 50% who make under

32K a year for example. You'll excuse me if I don't shed tears on your "loss".

[melody]

39. Jesus christ, don't you get we're talking about EVERYONE's ability to survive?

The money you get from your paycheck ... the ability you have to put food on the table ... THAT is at stake. You're more at risk than I AM!

[TBF]

44. That is called extortion and you've fallen for it. You'll note that republicans

crashed this boat. They know what they're doing. Now we will negotiate for a better package.

The stock market is back down to a reasonable level. Bubbles don't last forever.

[melody]

49. No, it's called REALITY

Look, never mind -- I've given up discussing it here. The people who know are taking steps to protect themselves. Those who don't take steps and trust some nebulous theory of "it's all a conspiracy" will suffer the consequences, not me.

[seemslikeadream]

6. Welcome to MY world

[Naturyl]

26. Seconded.

I know it's wrong, but I have a very difficult time finding the right attitude about this sort of thing.

I have been "wiped out" all of my adult life.

[Greyhound]

7. 6 years and counting... welcome. n/t

[Roland99]

8. Not like there weren't any warnings. Diversification is key to any portfolio.

[itsrobert]

15. thanks, those are comforting words

:(

[Roland99]

25. Isn't that like rule #1 when it comes to investing?

Well, going in for the long-term might be #1 but I was always taught to diversify...but I would play it conservatively with any investment. I'd be happy with 5-7% annual growth long-term instead of a quick 10-15% one year here and there.

[AngryAmish]

55. Rule #1 is don't talk about fight club.

[MercutioATC]

9. Depending your horizon, this is just a blip. The market WILL recover.

This is actually part of the amputation we needed to get rid of the gangrene.

Short-term, it's painful...but it's hugely good for our long-term health.

[jojo54]

11. All my shit's in internationals.

They're taking a big hit too.

On top of it all, I go to my 2nd p/t job today and they had to close due to an electrical failure. No pay today!!

[TBF]

17. Welcome to how the other 95% of this country lives.

[El Pinko]

21. Thank you. Month-to-month for twenty years here.

Savings? No, I live an extravagant lifestyle of driving a 13 year old car and eating at Denny's once a week.

[TahitiNut]

23. Yup. I didn't see any "fat and happy" folks rushing to MY door when I was fucked.

:shrug: Many folks have been wading knee-deep in dead canaries like me as they kept mining. Fuck 'em.

[juno jones]

35. Well said, Tahiti.

I will have to remember that phrase. :)

[itsrobert]

28. Hey, I been scrapping by

I had gotten a little money (no much, less than 50K) in inhertiage. So I invested in 401K and some stocks. So, why do you think I'm in the top 5 percent?

My parents are probably going to be hurting to. Their 401K's are probably gone.

[TBF]

34. Think about how most people in this country live. Do you know that

according to 2006 IRS figures the AVERAGE salary in this country is 32K a year? How can you sit around and feel sorry for yourself when there are so many people who are worse off than you?

[itsrobert]

76. Delete

Have fun.

[johnaries]

68. I don't think you understand. I'm one of those 95%, and we will be hurt

the most. We'll probably be jobless if something doesn't change SOON.

[TBF]

75. I'm sorry about your situation, but this was not the bill to help you.

This one bailed out Wall Street and gave unprecedented control to the Secretary of the Treasury (who frankly should be in jail right now in my opinion). This was not a bill that helped average people.

Please check out Bernie Sanders (Vermont) or Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) alternate plans on their websites. Just google their names and their official House websites will come up. These are reps who are thinking about average people and their needs right now.

We need housing, health care, and jobs. We don't need to bail out the richest 1% of our population.

I truly hope you don't lose your job. Take care.

[spoony]

72. I love how people assume that anyone who will be affected

is rich. It's usually the same people who say "fuck the auto companies" and don't get that it's always, always WORKERS who get this shit passed on to them. Workers and consumers, not bigwigs.

[Mari333]

18. I had all retirement funds in mutual funds and bonds

I am afraid to look. they were with Vanguard..not much, but enough to get me by til I am 80. If they are gone, I will end up in the street. Its that simple. I have already lost 2 husbands, a son , and now my retirement. Last night I was looking up ways online to suicide. Yes, it is that bad, I am tired of grieving, but this may be the straw that breaks me if I dont have a retirement.

[marions ghost]

29. Mari

get a grip. You do not have enough information right now to make any decisions. If you go down, then many will also and we will help each other.

You do have support if the worst happens. You just don't feel it but it's out there. Talk to somebody. Reach out to others. :grouphug:

[knitter4democracy]

33. I don't know what to say.

I can't make it better, but I can give you a hug. :hug: I'm so sorry.

[Sabriel]

40. Mari, you've shared so much with us over the years here on DU

I know you can make it through this one, too.

Thanks for having the courage to post what others are thinking at this time.

[Zookeeper]

50. Please hang on, Mari. You are not alone.

:hug:

[Naturyl]

57. You have a retirement. Social Security sill exists.

Unless you don't qualify for some reason, Social Security pays enough to take care of your basic needs.

[pinto]

66. Hi Mari333,

We share your concern about the economy and have some concerns for you and your well-being as well. Please consider calling this number and discussing your feelings with a trained crisis counselor.

1-800-784-2433

for the moderators,
pinto

[cbayer]

67. The DU Moderators are quite concerned about what you have expressed here.

However, DU members are not qualified to provide you with the help that you need. Please consider using this crisis hotline number 1-800-784-2433.

cbayer
On behalf of the DU Moderators

[Realityhack]

79. I second this n/t

[LiberalHeart]

77. Follow your initial idea of not looking. Just go on with your daily life ....

...as if the meltdown hasn't happened. Really. It's not a loss till you cash in, and then only if the investments haven't recovered. I've been through a couple of meltdowns now, and it always comes back. Honest.

[LSK]

19. did you place a bet on this vote or something???????

Don't gamble on Congressional votes if you did.

:shrug:

[tridim]

20. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't have enough money..

to support my parents' retirement while supporting myself. They're losing their shirts over this.

I don't have any money in the market, but I'll probably lose my meager savings when my bank eventually crashes.

[DeschutesRiver]

22. If this stands, then many other people who don't understand it

will be joining your ranks very very shortly and have instant moments of utter terrified clarity.

I just don't know about this whole deal - with the bailout, we put off the bad events for an undetermined amount of time, weeks, months? Without the bailout, things could completely crash in rather short order.

Yeah, everyone in one way or another, will experience something they apparently can't even imagine at this point. I don't know whether it is better to plunge into a depression now and get it over with, or to let people have a tiny window of opportunity to better prepare themselves with the bailout. Given how many people can't fathom what this means, maybe it is a waste of time to bailout in hopes that some will better protect themselves now to withstand the coming depression.

I am bummed because this is truly the proverbial rock and hard spot.

[TahitiNut]

24. "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I've been enjoying my 'freedom' for years.

So ... look on the bright side: You're FREE! :party: :party:

[Mari333]

30. Free? I will be free when my body dies

and that looks like it will be sooner then later. thanks to this.

[melody]

32. You have to have a roof over your head, you have to feed yourself

I live a very frugal lifestyle, I have no debt and I own my own house. We had some 401K money for retirement purposes and now that's probably gone. How can you *not* be terrified? I don't mean to be rude but jeez, are you a plant? Do you eat sunlight? Do you grow everything?

[TahitiNut]

37. You're just arriving at a point I passed 8-10 years ago.

Again ... welcome to the club. :hi: As we sow, so shall we reap. When folks ignore the dead canaries, we only have ourselves to blame.

[melody]

41. You're in an even worse position now than I am

I'll be able to survive. Will you? Where will your money come from? How will you feed yourself?

You won't be able to so allow me to bid you adieu in the real sense. :hi: I'll still be here.

[TahitiNut]

54. How nice it must be to take solace in the fact that others are still worse off than you.

:eyes: I guess it makes things nicer when others suffer more.

"They deserve it but I don't" ... the assumption of the brain-dead.

[melody]

56. I didn't say that! I'm trying to protect people who are in a worse situation!

It's the only goddamned reason I'm here right now getting bitched at by people.

You DON'T deserve it is my point -- my point is it's going to hit you worse than it will me, you should be MORE concerned.

[TBF]

61. You have no idea what my background is. But it's interesting to watch

you feel all superior over people. You really do think you're better than everyone else, don't you?

[TBF]

62. BTW, I don't need your protection. :) I wouldn't want you to worry.

[nilram]

27. Unfortunately, most everyone has a dog in this fight

If it were only the fat cats, it would be easy.

They've structured it that way, of course, so now when people talk about "the economy", they're mostly talking about "the stock market". Makes it easier for them to ask for nearly a trillion dollars, when we need their house of cards to be propped up as well.

[TBF]

38. Can you explain why we need to prop up "fat cats"? I'm not feeling the love for them.

[nilram]

42. we don't, and I wouldn't.

[melody]

43. We are propping up EVERYONE not just fat cats n/t

[TBF]

48. You've really fallen for "trickle down" haven't you? The problem is that it doesn't work

for anyone but the top 10%. Better that we are done with the myths. Maybe we can progress to a higher level.

[melody]

52. You clearly don't know what you're talking about

I've protected myself and my family -- others have protected theirs. What you sow, you will reap ... probably literally.

[Hannah Bell]

59. yep, you're a paragon. maybe you'd find more like-minded folk with the limbaugh crowd.

[TBF]

60. I know you are completely concerned about yourself. That's obvious.

Remind me again why you vote for democrats.

[Naturyl]

73. Just like most of those who have money

Their true colors come out eventually. Watch and wait.

[Cleita]

31. Join the crowd.

The thing is it would have been later rather than right now. There are alternative bail out plans that are better in the long run but no one in Washington is looking at them. Time to make your reps do what is right for the country not just some investment bankers.

[dkofos]

45. Should have been paying attention

[Truth2Tell]

46. Oh ferchissakes!

This is getting pathetic.

[grahamhgreen]

47. Listen - we need A RADICALLY DIFFERENT SYSTEM FOR RETIREMENT - like Sweden or Germany or

any of the socialist democracies of the world.

THE STOCK MARKET IS GAMBLING!

We want guaranteed retirement, not a gamble.

It's a con game!

[TBF]

51. There we go - someone who understands economics!

I completely agree with you.

[TahitiNut]

53. Funny how the "I got mine, fuck you" cohort NOW WHINING just still doesn't get it.

Sometimes I think my fellow countrymen are just fucking rock-hard STUPID.

We're STILL hearing those "with the most to lose" WHINE and tell those of us who've been screwed for YEARS that it's OUR fault!!! Unfuckingbelievable.

[TBF]

64. I know, it makes me ill to see this on a democratic website.

What I'd like to see is an oversight board on this "bailout" comprised of homeless people. Maybe we'd actually see a little justice.

[fascisthunter]

69. No Kidding...

[TBF]

70. I got Dennis' plan via email the other day. Much better. I liked the

idea of taxpayers getting equity in the bailout of the firms. Makes a lot more sense than a blank check to the people who caused the problem in the first place. Coincidentally I just saw a headline (I believe it was Wash Post) that said Wall Street Bonuses down 50%. You'd think they'd skip the bonuses altogether when the banks run the country into the ground.

[fascisthunter]

80. What a Man.... a real man

man that gives a fuck about the people and about holding our elected officials accountable...

[Naturyl]

74. It has no place in a "progressive" community

The trickle-down talking points being spouted here and elsewhere on DU are appalling.

[marions ghost]

58. Absolutely

n/t

[Bluebear]

63. What, now it's DU's fault?!

[SammyWinstonJack]

71. Apparently.

:shrug:

[HEyHEY]

65. Sorry to hear it, even more sorry to hear the fuckheads here react to your misfortune

They should be pissed that economic policies of this government help in your demise. Instead, like a bunch of neocons fuckheads they're telling you "Tough, you should have paid attention."
Assholes.

[Raine]

78. I'm sorry

and I'm sorry you will get no sympathy here because some people here are just as cold and unfeeling as those on the other side. Being judgemental is not just a repig trait, people on both sides decide who they feel is worthy of a kind word. Some of the posts here are truly disgusting and certainly disallusioning on how we supposedly have the "compassionate" people on our side. :-(