"Mother Nature...The Ultimate Economist..."

Some forest fires aren’t supposed to be put out.

Although I dozed or, at best, feigned interest through most of my junior high school science classes (which explains why I’m unlikely to ever win a Nobel), I did manage (while reading “From Russia With Love” in paperback hidden behind my science textbook) to absorb the basic concept of nature “renewing” itself with a little “out with the old, in with the new” processing.

Ergo, the old forest is allowed to burn to the ground so that new saplings can take root, etc, etc.

And while we’re at it, although I profess no expertise in the area of economics, I understand that the nature of free market economy is that a little of that out with the old stuff applies as well.

That’s occurred to me as I read about the bailouts.

First, the banks.
Then, insurance companies.

Now General Motors has gotten to the head of the line.

To hear GM tell it, if they don’t get the bucks they need to put out the fire of bankruptcy, we’ll all be consumed in the flames.

First, GM ain’t the only forest in town.

Nissan, Toyota, et al seem to be pretty leafy.

Second, I don’t much care for the idea of paying for a car that I’m not going to get to drive.

If my tax dollars go to bailout GM, I could make a pretty good case that that’s the case.

Third, I’m no five star parent, but I do recall being savvy enough to teach the kids somewhere along the way that if they spend their allowance frivolously, they’ve got to deal with the consequences.

Fourth, I don’t like being scared or bullied into giving somebody my money.

“Hey….fork over the dough, pal…or the roof is gonna fall in on youse….ya dig?”

Tony Soprano as CEO.

Meanwhile, do I feel bad about the people who are going to really take the hit here? The autoworkers who have families to feed and will be out of work?

Of course, I do.

Damn it, Jim. I’m a free market capitalist, not an unfeeling asshole.

In fact, thanks to the total cluster f*** that was the outgoing administration, none of us are immune right now to the ripple effects of a economy on the slide.

Come to think of it…

I’ve spent more money for the last few months that I had coming in.

And if I don’t find some funding, I’m going to not be able to pay my rent or my car note.

And I’ll have no place to live and no way to get around to find a new job.

So chances are, I’ll be showing up at your house to eat your food and drive your car.

Until the cost of paying for both of us starts to overwhelm you and you start spending more money every month than you have coming in.

And you need funding or you wont be able to pay OUR rent or OUR car note.

And we’ll have no place to live or any way to get around to find new jobs.

And so we’ll show up at their house….or their house….or theirs…

So, I need a bailout.
Or things will get pretty ugly.

On the other hand, maybe having to take the fall for my overspending and learning to live within my means will mark the end of selfishness and greed and the beginning of a new, more responsible way of living.

A burning down, if you will, of old, bad habits.

And the taking root of new, good ones.

Some forest fires aren’t supposed to be put out.