Question ?

[Duke Cador]

I would say it is quite simple. What's the cost and effect of bailing an orgranisation out compared with not doing so - ie damage limitation. But the question is, are the government influenced in any way by a particular industry or the region which would suffer the most should the industry go down. Governments do seem to bail out some industries yet ignore the plight of others. And perhaps the governments and people should ask why did it get to such a critical stage to need a bail out. Could not a stich in time have saved nine. And were there critical and even criminal errors made. What bothers me is how an industry gets bailed out and the matter is swept under the carpet and forgotten without any form of investigation or measures being taken to prevent it happening again.

[lucy]

I think what should be done in the future is whenever two companies want to merge, or whenever a company wants to buy another, the only question that should be asked is: Can we afford to let this new company to go down, or will it be too big to be let down.

I don't think capitalism or the free market has failed. Entrepreneurship was replaced with greed, taking calculated risks with being irresponsible and self-determination with selfishness. That's what went wrong in the last decade(s).

The system itself wasn't the problem, if but we need to remember that "trees don't grow to the sky" as a German saying goes.