Reply #145: I'd rather we had gotten voting rights and paid less for the equity interests [View All]

[depakid]

like Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling did- but Britain operates under a parliamentary system, and so were in a better position to call the shots when the need arose. Even so, several years down the line, US taxpayers may well make money on some- maybe even most of the bank deals.

I don't know enough about AIG's businesses to make a reasonable judgment about how that will turn out- but what from little I've gleaned, it was, unfortunately necessary- not just for the US, but also for Europe and Asia.

Here at home, it good to see county timber payments extended for 4 years in the bill. Had that not occurred, there'd be a LOT of local governments slashing essential services- and likely going bankrupt, at the worst possible time.

Like everyone on DU, I'm pissed off that this came to pass- but unlike most, I recognize (as other world leaders and reserve bank members do) that prompt and collective actions were required to prevent a systemic collapse.

In Gordon Brown's case, his leadership might just save Labor from being defeated by the Tories in the next election....