Ms. Crissie has been reading the mail this week, and a wave of righteous - or not - anger is on the march. The consensus is that we must punish the evildoers (whoever they are) for what they did (whatever it was), so we can make sure it will never, ever happen again (in our lifetimes). Sadly, it seems this is where the consensus ends. Our breakfast was a mug of mad, a bowl of bile, a ration of rage, and a side of sadism. We shall endeavor to wash it down with a carafe of consideration.
More after the fold....
Lest you fall victim to indigestion as well as indignation, Ms. Crissie suggests that you breakfast on fritatas rather than frustration. While you get busy on those, we shall turn to the mailbag:
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Dear Ms. Crissie,
My wealthy friends resisted the ads from mortgage brokers to take on subprime mortgages. Shouldn't we blame the poor people who took the professionals' advice, didn't resist, and invaded my neighborhood? Why should my tax dollars go to help them when they shouldn't have been here anyway? Wouldn't my children's moral compass, as well as their future incomes, benefit from seeing those boarded-up houses lost by people whose aspirations exceeded their station in life?
Paulie B. in GA
(Exorcisms available upon request)
Dear Paulie,
Ms. Crissie suggests that you may be more in need of exorcism than positioned to offer them. Your very skewed religious fantasies aside, we were unable to find a scriptural passage that said wealth is God's favor showered on the worthy, and poverty God's punishment for sin. Indeed the Bible we read suggests a duty to care for those in need, and warns that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. It may be that we have the Socialist Edition, or it may be that your soul - and your children's moral compass - would benefit by caring for more and cursing fewer.
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Dear Ms. Crissie,
I am in Nebraska caring for a 90 year old aunt (farmer's wife and also mother of a farmer) about 3/4 of my time. Most farmers borrow for seed and fertilizer in the spring and pay off the loans after harvest. This swing loan is a very common practice. The FDIC "nationalized" 3 banks in NE last weekend. If credit is not flowing, how will the farmers plant? Which leads to, of course, what will we eat?
Concerned in NE
Dear Concerned,
Ms. Crissie is not an expert in agricultural economics, so we forwarded your question to one. Here is his reply:
To: Ms. Crissie
Re: Concerned in NE
Family farms are a drain on the econony, as most are too small to make full use of revered free market theories like economies of scale. That's why they have to borrow money every year. My company has a motto: If you can't afford to optimize it, you shouldn't be allowed to own it. These farms should be foreclosed on and purchased at discount by businesses who can optimize their operation. The farmer can stay on and work as a tenant, but our economy can't trust valuable assets to individuals. That's what corporations are for.
Pluto Cracy, Chief Economist, Agribusiness Inc.
Oh dear. We should have checked Mr. Cracy's credentials first. We sincerely apologize.
You raise an important question, but the question contains part of its answer. While the idea of "nationalizing" banks seems anathema to many, we are assured that it happens often through the normal operation of the FDIC. The banks are taken into receivership, their balance sheets made to actually balance, then sold back into the private sector. We hope this will happen quickly for banks in our nation's breadbasket. If not, we hope Congress will ensure that our nation's farmers have access to the swing loans they rely on to smooth their cash flows. If not, Mr. Cracy may get his wish.
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Dear Ms. Crissie,
As I haven't been born yet, I'm writing to you through a psychic medium. What the hell were you people thinking? Did you really believe you could get something for nothing? Here on the Astral Plane we can see things very clearly, and you guys are stupid. Now my generation will have to clean up your mess. Thanks a lot! I should throw a killer asteroid at you all.
Unborn and Already Angry in AP
Dear Unborn,
Not being on the Astral Plane, we find ourselves at an informational disadvantage. So, again, we consulted an expert, through a different psychic medium:
Dear Unborn i/c/o Ms. Crissie,
You're being a bit unfair there, kiddo. The living are having to clean up the messes my generation left. We didn't know burning hydrocarbons would cause problems later; we thought it was a cheap, readily available fuel that made our lives better. Oops.
Of course, my generation spent a lot of our time cleaning up the messes left by generations before us, so it wasn't entirely our fault either. What you'll discover, Unborn, is that when you're alive you won't know nearly as much as you think. In hindsight, it seems that each living generation muddles along about as best they can given what they know. They make some progress cleaning up messes left by past generations, but in doing so they leave messes for later generations to clean up. And yours will do the same.
And ixnay on the asteroidle, or you won't have a world to be born into.
Dearly Departed in AP
We agree, especially about the asteroid.
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Dear Crissie,
Okay, so what's a fritata?
Waiting for Breakfast in Blogistan
Dear Waiting,
Oh dear. We thought you knew. Well, you'll need two eggs, some leftover veggies from the fridge, and some grated or shredded cheese. Warm the veggies in a skillet over medium heat, then set them aside. Break and whisk the eggs in a bowl, then pour them into the skillet, shaking the skillet as you pour. Use a spatula to firm up the edges. Once the egg begins to set, sprinkle the veggies onto the egg, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Set the oven to Broil and put the skillet on the top rack for about 3 minutes. Gently tip and slide the fritata onto a cutting board, and slice it like a pizza. Enjoy!
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Dear Hooman,
U haz leftoverz. Kan I haz dem pweeze?
Pootie P. in FL
Dear Pootie the Precious,
Yes, sweetie, but you have to share with Woofie the Younger.
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Happy Sunday!