In Europe, Banks Get Bailed Out and Countries Get Austerity

[gratuitous]

17. SOMEBODY has to pay for this big party

You don't think the Big Financial Boyz got wealthy by paying for their parties themselves? No, the cost gets heavily socialized while the profit is heavily privatized. And after another round of fiscal malfeasance, don't you DARE even think of firing any of the bad actors, and as for any re-regulation or strings to be attached as a condition of the bailout, well, fuhgeddaboudit. These job creators and masters of the universe don't need any of you tyros looking over their shoulder while they call fabulous new worlds of wealth into being through sheer willpower.