Reply #10: I'm confused on a couple of points

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(like I should join the club)

Dr. Susskind from Princeton, interviewed on Bill Maher the other night (Friday?) said basically no one really understands, but all we've really done is ward off an immediate meltdown.

I've heard a variety of names (well known, and those that I trust), including Bill Clinton (yesterday morning) say that actually this is good, we might make money and could at least strenghen it, overpriced bonuses aside. It would also get Goldman Sachs (not that I cry for them), and the others, out of this derivatives business or whatever it's called and force them to operate under bank rules in some degree, at least as far as picking up mortgages goes, forcing them to keep certain percentages of money available and all the other banky things and rules that banks have to operate under.

So, some good people that I put beyond reproach say it's not a bad deal, others are scared shitless, and most say they have no idea what they're doing, but we have to do something, so here it is - if you don't like it, come up with a better idea - but no one is getting any airtime with better ideas (not sure if that means there are no better ideas, or they're just being supressed).