What the Republicans Hath Wrought

If I read one more quote from the likes of John McCain criticizing the current bail out package, I may have to throw something. Don't think my arm is strong enough to reach Washington, let alone Arizona, though. Darn!
Let me say it loudly and clearly: the Republicans raided their children's and grandchildren's futures when they allowed the banking system to spin out of control over the past 8 years. The shell game of securitized assets, insurance on securitized assets, short selling of bank stocks, hedge funds and the like absolutely guaranteed that a loud sucking sound would be heard. Poor fools who had their money in 401ks, in mutual funds. What chance or hope did they have to avert what the Wharton School whiz kids had cooked up?
I knew things were fishy several years ago, when youngsters suddenly had financial managers and the managers themselves were still wet behind the ears (I typed years, mmmm). When Merrill Lynch customers paid extra closing costs and origination fees to their investment bank for mortgages that were supposed get as "valued customers" at discounted rates. When the rates themselves were far from discounted. I started to feel squeamish after awhile when yet another customer would announce to me that they 'needed to run things by' their financial advisor. And when my investment bank assigned me to one of this ilk, I spent my first and last phone call with him conducting my own job interview. It didn't take long to realize this kid who was trying to sell me annuities was working off a script penned by only god knows who. And if you think things have gotten better, you only need to know all it takes to become a mortgage loan officer for a leading lender is a high school degree.
I know it's going to get really rough out there. The money men behind the Republicans want back into power so they can raid the last vestiges of wealth out of the American pot: Social Security (remember how much they pushed for those individually controlled investment accounts for young workers?) and employer provided Health insurance. Heaven save us if they get their hands on those funds -- or get control over whether employers offer benefits at all.