Partisan Positioning

So we're in the midst of an economic crisis. Or are we. That's my take at least, since I have this deep suspicion that things at the top aren't as bad as we're being told they are. What I find most alarming though is the Bush administration's response to the Democrat's opinion that any economic bail out should include regular people, the so oft repeated "main street." The administration's response put succinctly is thus; we don't have time for partisanship, we need to overcome political rancor and division in order to save the economy. What is the economy anyway? Is it yours or my economy? Or is it the economy of Wall Street and Big Business? In an ideal world it would be a discourse that includes both since they both are truly a part of the collective American economy. 

However, the Bush administration's response to the Democrats insistence is emblematic of their position toward class and the economy in general, that is to say a biased one in favor of the monied interests. I'm a bit skeptical that the financial structure is in such danger in the first place, but any bail out attempt should include regular people. In my humble opinion the economic woes we're experiencing are a result of irresponsibility on all levels: government, personal, social, etc. Therefore, if we're going to bail out one party, we should bail out all. Think about what a bail out really is. As I heard Naomi Klein, author of the Shock Doctrine, describe it, and I'm paraphrasing here, think about waking up in the morning and having all of your debt erased. Think about that. No school loans, no credit cards, no home mortgage, no debt whatsoever. Now that is what the government is striving to do here. I'm not arguing that perhaps or economy needs some help right now, but I think there is something dubious going on here, especially when Bush calls helping the lowers classes partisanship. Why aren't businesses held accountable? They are after all made up of individuals right? The very same individuals that people like Bush and his lackeys declare should be more fiscally responsible. And shouldn't the economic puppeteers of our economy be held to an even higher level of responsibility and probity?

I am no economic expert, but I certainly find it awfully suspicious that when a group of Democrats wants to include a safety net for regular individuals in an economic package the president retorts, "that's partisanship." He treats it like an encumbrance. Screw you mom and pop, you put yourself in your own dire situation, but Mr. Wall Street let me take you inside, wash you off, feed you a nice hot dinner, and let you sleep in my bed. That's the essence of what is going on here. When you are I go into debt, irresponsibly or not, we're up the creek without a paddle. As actors in the economy, we all share responsibility to make sure we have a sound economic foundation from which we can all prosper. If that system begins to falter, we have a responsibility to help out as tax payers. I'm ok with that. But what is troubling is that so many times, Americans are told to work harder, to save, or to be more responsible when they are finding themselves in an economic hole, instead of being on the receiving end of 700 billion dollars.