Sisterly Cynicism

The Abstracted Sister this morning: I heard on the radio this morning some idiot saying "And if the company remains viable and even grows, the American people could turn a profit." Thanks! That's exactly why I pay taxes: so [the government] can use them for stock buyouts.


TAE: So if the American people see a profit on our 75% stake in AIG, does that mean we'll all see a decrease in our taxes? Or will the government write us a check for the return on the dividend? When do we get permission to diversify our portfolio? I want to roll over some of my AIG shares into low-risk bonds, and roll some shares over into an emerging markets fund that invests in uranium mining in Kazakhstan.
But I don't have any control over the AIG shares that I "bought" and the government is deciding for me where my tax dollars are invested as it uses the money to buy majority shares in gigantic private companies.

There's a term for that: market socialism. It's how China's economy is run.

The Abstracted Sister: But seriously, I pay taxes so I don't get arrested.

TAE: True. True. Nothing like the fear of incarceration to motivate us to go along with a government's actions we find largely unethical and not in our best interest.

I'm sorry, I'm just nostalgic for the good old days of free market capitalism.