[sperry]

I wouldn't be bothered by bailouts if in fact we were a socialist country that was regulating industry all along. I have a problem with allowing a bunch of companies to make a mess of money during the boom while requiring the middle class to pick up the tab when boom turns to bust. Live by the free-market sword, die by the free-market sword.

If those companies want to be rescued, then all the CEO's that made the most need to be the folks putting in the most money for the bailout. Problem is, they can lose half their fortunes and still walk away from the situation filthy rich. Meanwhile some poor UAW line worker is going to lose his job, pension, etc while being used to making $30/hr for borderline unskilled labor. Where's someone that's used to making good money and has no skills applicable to another industry going to go? That's the guy that the CEO should be paying back his last decade's worth of bonuses to so he can go back to school to learn a new trade.

The right answer is to let all the automakers declare bankruptcy, and either wait for the void to get filled by some new manufacturers that can do things right, or to fully socialize the auto industry like France did with Renault. Either way, the guys at the top that are flying around in their private jets deserve to be out of work.