The market would have let the banks fail. Instead they were rewarded with state bailout money that came from the very people they swindled. That’s cronyism. The state gave more power to the people who created the problem.

laissez faire regulatory policies helped create the mortgage crisis. the assumption was private actors would act in their own best long term interests.

a government response was needed. the bailouts prevented a far worse outcome. though nationalization might have been better? It still worked out. the loans were repaid. how much money laundering was swept under the tarpet?

Watched Footloose the other night with the fam. In the background of a scene shot at a gas station the posted price was $1.15 per gallon. That is consistent with pricing reports from that era and equates to pretty much the same price I’ve been paying lately in non-blue states.

The national average for regular gasoline is approximately $4.27 per gallon, while the average price in red (Republican-leaning) states generally hovers around $3.75 to $4.10 per gallon, remaining lower than the average in blue (Democratic-leaning) states.

Gas Prices in Select Red States

• Texas: ~$3.84 per gallon (Forbes Advisor)
• North Carolina: ~$3.75 per gallon (Forbes Advisor)
• Georgia: ~$3.79 per gallon (Forbes Advisor)
• Ohio: ~$3.83 per gallon (Forbes Advisor)
• Indiana: ~$3.86 per gallon (Forbes Advisor)

His whole goal is to get under the skin of people like you, and it’s been working like a well oiled machine for about 11 years now.

Is laughing at him getting under my skin?

there is a simpler explanation for his odd behavior.

When push comes to shove, I’d rather have the winners and creators of our society making the rules than the lazy losers and whiners. When the lazy losers and whiners win, you end up like France.

I'd rather put the watch dogs in charge of. the hen houses than the foxes. If you put the foxes in charge of the hen houses; you end up like the United States in 2008.

Summary of Total French Public Spending (57.2% of GDP)
Function   % of French GDP
Social Protection & Welfare   ~32.2%
Education   ~5.2%
General Public Admin & Debt Interest   ~5.5%
Economic Affairs & Infrastructure   ~5.2%
Defense, Police & Justice   ~3.3%
Environment, Housing & Culture   ~2.8%
Total Public Spending   57.2%

Tell it to Tempo who loves the EU social net countries yet can't explain why they are all becoming white nationalists.....

France only spends 32% of their dgp on social welfare, while over [almost] 60% goes to government spending in general. they have structural problems

anyway, they are having economic problems and it becomes convenient to scapegoat immigrants, making. ethnic nationalism attractive to some elements.