Be Very Afraid, Sad, or Mad, or All of the Above

If you haven't been paying attention:

The Congress of the United States just passed a bill targeting a select group of private citizens. Who? The AIG employees. Why? Because Congress had to do something to assuage their righteous anger. Of course this was all just a dog and pony show. Obama and his minions manufactured all of this to distract us from a bigger issue. Congress just tagged along because it was politically necessary to pretend that they shared the citizenry's ire over the issue.

Before you get too angry at the AIG bonus recipients, consider a few points:

The AIG bonuses were the result of legally binding contracts between an employer and its employees. The bonus pay-outs imply that the employees performed per the contracts.

Imagine that a company comes to you and says, "Mr. Hansenovich, we'd like you to come work for us. We need a guy that can do xyz, and your the best in the industry. Here's what we're offering: a $100,000 salary, plus if after a year you agree to stick around another year, we'll give you a $1 million bonus. Also, if you perform xyz during your first year, we'll give you another bonus of $2 million." So you agree, and both of you sign on the dotted line. Unfortunately, a year later your new company is struggling and needs a major loan to keep it running. Meanwhile you perform xyz and decide to stick around the next year. Should you get your bonus? Do you care where the company got its loan? Is that even relevant? Let's say the company is gasping for air purely as a result of your performing xyz just as requested. Do you still get your bonus? Absolutely!

Also, why is everyone angry with the employees and not the employer who wrote the contract?Very odd.

Another point: These bonuses were made law by the President's stimulus bill. His own Treasury Secretary had Chris Dodd include a provision that guaranteed these very bonuses. (Of course they both denied this first, and then later mea culpa'd when caught.) So now the very people who approved the bonuses, are now going to tax them at 90%. It's almost as if they intentionally created this controversy to help foment class warfare among the masses.

Also, could this have been an intentional distraction?

Consider this: AIG's bailout, written by Geithner himself, while working for Henry Paulson, gave over $170 billion to AIG. The bonuses amount to just under $170 million. That amounts to 1/10 of a percent of the bailout. Meanwhile, approximately $98 billion of the bailout money was funneled from AIG to foreign banks and Goldman-Sachs. This could be some sort of money laundering scheme, where AIG, under its government-appointed CEO, acts as a clearing house for the government to get money into hands that it could not give to directly.

Obama (or TOTUS): Be very angry. The rich are taking your money. Be very angry. The rich are taking your money. Be very angry... Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain... Be very angry...

Keep in mind that both Dems and Repubs approved this 90% tax bill.

Pray that these politicians never find it politically advantageous to come after you, or say, your church.