I Never Thought I'd Ever See The Day

[Guest]

The only alternative available to save Citigroup (Citibank) appears to be for the government to nationalize it. The Wall Street Journal article makes it sound like that's definitely going to happen. Now, what to do with the Bank of America, which is also on life support?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123535148618845005.html?mod=testMod

The nationalizing of these banks makes saving the auto industry look like penny ante.

This leaves me with a minor question -- how does a private JPMorgan Chase (or any other bank not nationalized) compete with banks owned by the government anyway?

[Guest]

VK,

I have been having the very same thought for quite a while. (I just looked at what you said. I have not opened the WSJ link yet. Trying to work up my courage.)

The reason I have been thinking about it is that, as is quite obvious, I am a bumpkin. And we bumpkins use our bricks and mortar banks where everybody knows our name.

The only banks I ever use are the ones that I can see, touch, feel. My banks did things right. And so I let them borrow my money.

What you just said though has been on my mind for a long time. More specifically, what will happen to my really little banks? Will they have a chance at all?

I am so tired of seeing things coming.

My theories are always unsophisticated. What do I know? But is it that stockholders and banks can't mix? -- if nobody is choosing to watch. Stockholders drive the bus. Have to keep them happy. Like I have been saying, and I do not know who said it first, "Unrestrained greed is not only bad morals, it's bad economics."

This one's got me really scared, VK. And now that you, a banker, have voiced it here, aaaaaauuuuughhhhhh!!! I do not want to be right.

And someday, I will have to talk about what happened when my long time health insurance company issued an IPO. Gave us a choice. Money or stock? Being me, I took the stock. Oh yeah, I owned a piece of them, but then a bunch of other stockholders owned a piece of me. (Sold it high finally. I could not stand it. Talk about CEO bonuses. Puke. Deny people care and reap millions.)

You know, with banks and health insurance companies, it's not like they are selling soap or soup or tape or even cars. Banks and health insurance companies can really mess with people's lives.

This thing is getting more surreal by the day.

And today -- the brick and mortar place -- but tomorrow? What about tomorrow? The mattress??? (And I don't think that will even work with a Sleep Number.)

Seeya VK. I always check in but don't often write anything here in Political. But this one got me this morning.

Boomer

[Guest]

The only alternative available to save Citigroup (Citibank) appears to be for the government to nationalize it. The Wall Street Journal article makes it sound like that's definitely going to happen. Now, what to do with the Bank of America, which is also on life support?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123535148618845005.html?mod=testMod

The nationalizing of these banks makes saving the auto industry look like penny ante.

This leaves me with a minor question -- how does a private JPMorgan Chase (or any other bank not nationalized) compete with banks owned by the government anyway?

The last time I was in Vietnam (November 2001 on a vets' reunion trip) the two largest buildings I saw in Ho Chi Minh City were crested with "CITICORP" and "Prudential" signs.

Citicorp is the classic international firm. They are everywhere, and it's a darned big planet! If there's a fear that CITICORP may go under, then there's a lot of countries which should be interested, and not just the US. A bailout of Citicorp is D U M B, and just is the political elitists protecting the CITICORP elitists who make campaign contributions.

[Guest]

The last time I was in Vietnam (November 2001 on a vets' reunion trip) the two largest buildings I saw in Ho Chi Minh City were crested with "CITICORP" and "Prudential" signs.

Citicorp is the classic international firm. They are everywhere, and it's a darned big planet! If there's a fear that CITICORP may go under, then there's a lot of countries which should be interested, and not just the US. A bailout of Citicorp is D U M B, and just is the political elitists protecting the CITICORP elitists who make campaign contributions.

Steve,

Oh My! You mean those lobbyists are still there in DC sloppin' those hogs? (she said sarcastically)

In Orwell's Animal Farm, at the end of the book, the farmer was thrown out of his home and the hogs were in the house. Well now, here we are. The hogs are in the House and in the Senate.

I gotta get out of here. I am starting to sound like some kind of English major. I think I will go to the bank, take out all of my money, and go spend it. WTH, huh!

Boomer