Is Nationalization Better Than a Bailout?

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A household/single = $2,295, and that's probably the equivalent of one month's expenses (with maybe $300 left over to 'spend' outside of their regular payments.
A household/married - just shy of $4600. This means if their one month's expenses are $2600, they've got $2,000 and will probably go out and buy a new HD-television; make a household purchase such as a new dining set or sofa. They might also use the money for the holiday season, or take a trip to get away for a few days.
While this would be a nice little 'boost', it's not going to RESCUE a single person from any financial mess they might be in.
Heck, they out to set up a 'Poor-Folks Wall-Street' - take all the bad assets; the questionable ones as well, and let every American BUY stock so they have equity in the 'crappy stuff' that the wealthy class want no part of. It's nothing more than 'penny stock' - don't require a broker; have no one be the middle-man, just 'buy direct' (using the I-net to make purchases would be a great feature and make it efficient as well).
I know I'd make a purchase, and I'm on fixed income/66 years of age. They might very well be pleasantly surprised to see that we old farts would cash in a couple CD's and treat this like a garage sale.
Way too many people are left out of the opportunity to make a stock purchase on Wall Street because too many don't understand all that much about how to get involved; few trust any broker, and hate paying brokerage fees. The nomenclature is confusing, but if we know we're already buy 'garbage', and believe we can turn it into something that makes a few dollars (none of us would be trying to become millionaires in short order), then I bet thousands/millions would venture out.

Diane of NV 4:40PM September 30, 2008

Strangely enough America seems to be in great conflict concerning our approach to life in general. We outsource our jobs but nationalize our financial markets, we contract our military activites yet insist upon a huge government bureaucracy with the Department of Homeland security. We cenounce brutal terrorists yet engage in torure. Now we are attemting to bailout our free-market economy with tax payer money which sort of negates the "FREE" in Free-Market. Whenever America wonders why the world is against us perhaps we can ponder our own contradictions as they are confusing at best!!!

Ray Fisher of NM 12:59PM September 30, 2008

"That sum ($750K-$1M each) in the hands of would actually cause an immediate spending frenzy."
Actually,
$700,000M/305M = $2,295 per person...

Tom of CA 12:38PM September 30, 2008

I don't want the gov owning my home. I would like to borrow from the gov at zero int and fees. If I can't pay, freeze my credit till I can pay. Don't take my home. Don't bury me so deep I can't see out.

N Frazier of TX 12:04PM September 30, 2008

CNN showed a guy who suggested intstead of giving the money to banks and lending, it would be better to give it to the US taxpayers. Crazy as it sounds on face value, it would work better than anyone wants to admit. That sum ($750K-$1M each) in the hands of would actually cause an immediate spending frenzy. In a consumer based economy, wall street is forgetting that its best hope is for consumers to not only have credit but the ability to pay it. How many mortgages,loans, and other bills do you think would be immediatly paid off. Americans are more apt to agree to something that we all benefit from, as evidenced by the events in the House yesterday.

MET9 of CT 11:37AM September 30, 2008