Personal Responsibility

Jesus christ, yes, the lenders and banks were very bad and are very hold a lot of fault for this economic problem. You know who else was responsible? YOU.

Yes, you. American Consumer, get up here, front and center. You, Joe Average, Madam Hockey Mom, whoever you are. Did you run up a lot of credit card debt? Did you buy a house that you weren't absolutely sure you could afford? Did you take out a personal or business loan that seemed too good to be true?

Congratulations, you dipshit, you were part of a massive team to sink the American economy!

Here's what needs to happen for a national-scale economy to work: People need to have money to loan. That means that the people who take out those loans need to be able to repay it. In the past, if you took out a loan that you couldn't afford, you were an idiot and/or scumbag living above your means. Recently it seems that doing so is not a stupid, scummy, irresponsible thing to do, but rather your own little slice of the American Dream.

If you took out a mortgage, you signed a contract saying that you accepted full responsibility for it. That means for one that you should have done your damn research before signing it. But that also means it is your responsibility. No, you cannot just walk away from it and expect the bank to write it off as a loss. No, you cannot expect a government bailout to make everything better*. No, you cannot blame the banks. Yes, they are partly culpable, but you know what? YOU SIGNED THE AGREEMENT. You saw the numbers you talked about it, you did it anyway.

Of course they told you it was a good idea and a great investment! Jesus christ, of course they told you that! You know why? They're selling it! If I go to a car dealership they're going to try to talk me up to the absolute peak of my price range. If I go to a realtor they're going to try to talk me up. Why? Because that's how they make their money, you ignoramus! That's like people who are stunned, absolutely horrified, to find out that their doctor is trying to tell them that tests X, Y, and Z are in fact neccesary and that you should really be on this and that drug. If you do it they get more money; if you don't they don't get the money. I was under the impression that this wasn't a terribly complex idea, but apparently it is.

I don't think I'm going to be able to watch the entire VP debate; it's going to make me too angry.

*Can someone *please* explain to me how this is going to solve anything long-term? We need regulation, not for our representatives to ignore their constituents and vote for a bill that's more pork than anything useful.