Do you believe corporate or social welfare is the bigger problem in our nation?

SSG Gerhard S. - I disagree, there should be no corporate welfare, if you bankrupt a company it should fold. Corporations are not citizens, and should not be treated as if they are. A company that gets so big that it destroys its own market deserves to close. Banks that prey on Americans should close, with the federal government stripping them and the shareholders of all assets to repay the public.

SPC Rory J. Mattheisen - Respectfully, I agree with your comment above, right up to the last sentence. First of all there is no Constitutional power for the Federal government to act in such a manner. Secondly if a private, (or shareholder) company or a bank folds, why would the "public" be repaid? What has the public to do with a private corporation, particularly if the Federal government were not involved in propping it up, or bailing it out?
The Federal government is tasked with acting "generally" this is what is meant by promoting the "general welfare". This means the Federal government is not to act for the benefit, or destruction of any particular person, or group of persons, any particular corporation, or industry, any State, or group of States. It is to act generally, that is, to act in such a manner that all are affected in a equal manner. So, while I agree that corporations, and people should be free to prosper, or fail, there is no Constitutional language that gives the Federal government the power to lord over those successes, or failures. Those powers, therefore belong to the States, or to the People as described in the 10th Amendment.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. Regards.

SSG Gerhard S. - I was speaking more towards the all out assault the financial sector launched against the American people up to the 08 crash. They knowingly put their businesses and the money of millions of people in jeopardy and had that many banks closed FDIC would have collapsed along with the fed and the American dollar and ultimately the entire worlds economy. Meanwhile the men and women who got rich by victimizing the people are still on top of the world.

I would add that those banks and investment firms were aided and enabled in their chicanery by our own politicians. Through the Community reinvestment act, and the 1999 repeal of Glass-Steagall act which allowed large investment firms to act as lenders. Add to all this the fact that banks and mortgage firms didn't have to service their own loans and we had a perfect storm of economic disaster. Banks sold off their bad loans, and then securities firms bundled them together, and AIG was largely unknowingly insuring all those bad loans. These banks and investment institutions were shielded from the consequences of their actions, distorting the risk/reward balance, and we did them no favors by bailing them all out. Additionally, our Federal Reserve Bank did us no favors, and is still doing us no favors by keeping interest rates at such a low level, making money so available.... too many dollars chasing a limited number of homes led to the housing bubble, of course this was exacerbated even more by the relaxed lending criteria set forth in the Community reinvestment act, and the banks and financial institutions willingness to exploit those regulations.

I don't think you and I are too far apart on this. Regards.

Very true!

MSgt (Join to see) - Yes!