It's ugly and it should stop. Now.
Phrases like "I live within my means, why should people who spent too much on their credit cards get any tax dollar bailouts?" or "I got a low-rate fixed mortgage, why should the government use my tax money to help out anyone who was stupid enough to get an ARM?" make me want to reach through the intertubes and... FUCKING STRANGLE YOU.
Why?
Because predatory lending and cheating/lying bankers and mortgage brokers are REAL.
Because the conditions and situations that lead people to get into debt are REAL.
Because the educational system SUCKS and people do not have the expertise or knowledge to evaluate a lot of the mortgage deals, credit deals, and other such deals that they get into.
Because people have to work TWO FUCKING JOBS just to support their family, and they don't have the TIME or ENERGY to spend hours on the internet googling the latest words of wisdom from Brad DeLong or Atrios or whatever.
The availability of good, solid, useful, objective information that people need to combat the disinformation, lies, and leading/enticing little tricky treats put out in front of them is limited.
Access to the internet does you no good if you do not know where to look. If your math skills are terrible and your reading is not much better. If you're so damned tired from working two jobs, that you can't keep your eyes open to watch a damned football game, much less figure out which of the 15 available mortgage packages, or refinancing packages, or consolidation packages is best for you.
People saying that kind of SHIT sound NO BETTER than the Republican, conservative ASSHOLES who got us where we are in the first place.
My financial situation is fine. Little tight here and there, bit of a rough patch now and then... but overall fine.
WHY, then, would I get so upset about this?
WELL...
JESUS H. FUCKING CHRIST ON A WHITE BICYCLE.... WHY are you a progressive?
Because you KNOW all this.
And yet you STILL say shit like that?
Give me a break.