What is the worst part of the financial crisis?

This system we live in needs to crash so that we can start over and do it right this time. Allow the rich to experience how we have to live. The social classes are too far spread, there are no equal rights when you have to live in survival mode. They get bail outs because they are afraid they will have to live like the rest of us.

Besides reafuture massive debt our Country has incurred, job losses by the millions, etc., worst part is reality that country is owned by Wealthy Class and large Corporations who have little or no ethics or values . Except for the value of greed.  They don't even hide it anymore. No wonder the bailed out Financial firms won't even say how taxpayer money is spent. They don't have to. Our current Gov't hasn't done anything for years to monitor or regulate them, despite warnings of financial disaster.  We are only the "fools" who put politicians in office. Afterwards, they cater to rich & powerfull,lobby groups, & Corp CEO's. Todays realization of just what extent wec were sold out is becoming so obvious. We are going back to the late 1800's with very powerfull small rich class, many poor, a weak middle class.and no  Unions .Working people then had few or no benefits & little rights.. Gov't statistics show working people today are regressing & have been for some time now. Losing benefits, rights, weakened Unions, etc.   Probably won't change unless new 3rd Political Party formed or current political parties make drastic value changes that we force on them. Until then, we're only pawns for the Powerfull.

The average American has always taken the brunt of financial debacles.  We are encouraged to save but are expected to spend.  Cost of living far exceeds our wages which makes it almost impossible to do either, and when forced to use savings and retirement we are taxed and penalized up the yingyang.  A substantial portion of us are only one paycheck away from living on the streets while CEO's of banks are given bonuses in the wake of one of the worst financial disasters of our time.  Small businesses that are just keeping their heads above water are doing their best to keep their people employed while GM and Chrysler who have been failing for decades are given relief.  The list goes on, but as I see it? Every one of these choices is the worst part of our financial crises and I suggest that government pay closer attention to the average American because we are watching you like a hawk.

Falling stock prices are the worst because it destroys the retirement comfort and security for so many seniors who have not only earned the right to relax and enjoy the fruits of their years of responsible money management but also who will have a hard time plugging back in to the job market for many reasons.

Government is giving our money to the big businesses and banks and financial institutions without any accounting of how it is used.  They are trying to make Chrysler and GM pay back the loans, what about AIG, and the others.  Why can't they pay some of it back.  What they want is the money and not have to acount for any of it.  Funny, how that works.  The CEO's of big business should not be making the big bucks if their company is not.  No bonuses, and a cut in salary I say.  The government expects the little guy, like me, to work for less (they even don't like mimimum wage that went up).  Bush and Cheney have been busy with trying to see their friends not have to live on less, that is why the big bailouts for AIG and some of the big financial institutions.   I believe that any company that needs to be bailed out needs to show how that money is being used.  No big parties and the execs needs no big bonuses or big retirement funds.  After all, the little guy in the company would lose their retirement and no bonus, and the CEO would expect the little guy to work for a lot less.  Why can't they set the example?  If they expect us, why can't they.  Also I believe that Congress should also not take a raise in pay the next time it comes up during this crisis.  There is a huge gap now between the poor and the rich.  Middle class as we used to know it is no longer there.   I have seen the end of the middle class, who were the ones that spent the money.  Most people do not have the money to spend, they have to see what to pay for next, (that is if they have a job) heat, food, gas, shelter.  My husband's job went bankrupt and it caused us to lose thousands of dollars in his retirement fund.  The retirement fund was taken over by the government and we only get a portion of what we had in it.  Big companies today (or should I say the execs) do not care about the little guy, they are only out for what they can get themselves.  Take a look at the execs in the big companies, like Oil.  How much do they line their pockets and expect bonuses and retirements (big dollars) after only a few years.  

The worst is that with impending waves of layoffs:  The meanness at work.  Terrified managers are the last people you could expect to be fair or rational.   Our coaches and cheerleaders have become denying, scape-goating slashers.

Time for the worker bees to sting the Queens & Kings!!!

I agree with #7, time for the worker bees to sting the Queen and King Bees and take their Health Coverage away.

Let's all move to MARS and start a new world order.  The working class are the only people who make sense to me.  You guys rock on this site and should be running the country.

My cousin's husband hasn't worked in a year (Domino's Pizza moved him along Dec. 07 after 25 years of service and dedication in uppper management).   My retired parents saw their portfolio cut 40% and others sources of real estate income dry up because of the "wonderful" and "uplifting" climate in Michigan.  I am literally living on peanut butter sandwiches (no jelly because I cannot afford it) and milk.   P.S.  I am a Univ. of Michigan graduate, so hopefully I will figure it out.  Are there any countries in Europe that are prospering because maybe I will move there so I can get a job.  Why did I educate myself when I will probably end up working at McDonalds to survive.  Can I supersize that for you?  Okay, I will practice.

I should have enjoyed the golden days of yesterday more than I did.  I hope that Obama is up for the challenge.  Like I said during the election, "Who would want the job."

Postive Me

2009 is going to make 2008 look like a fun time at disneyland. The newest bunch of liar loans will reset this year and with no job prospects run away credit card debt it is going to get really ugly. Time to buy a gun and a few thousand rounds of ammunition for the upcoming violence and robbery's

i hear all this talk going on, but what i don't hear is root cause and how the real fix is going to take place. the bail outs are bandaids.  from what i've seen is in a niffty artice "the bet that blew up wall street", read that, republicans and democrats have let us down,congress do something right for a change...

My suggestion for this economy, is, instead of giving the money to CEO's & CFO's of the big financial institutions that got us in this mess in the first place, give each struggling tax payer $200,000.00 so that they can buy the cars and houses and other goods made in the USA. That would put a lot of people back to work; and the money back into the economy. It sounds simple to me.

Also, why are those thiefs not being punished for their selfishness? If the average citizen of this country pulled the same stunts that these idiots pullled, they would have been prosecuted to the fullest letter of the law.

It seems simple , why not give it a try.

Chuck Toney