By Russell Kanning

Just how much money is the US Federal Government spending on its friends? The numbers are hard to come by, but the Banking Bailout began at $700 billion. CNN reference

That's a lot of B's. It is also a bundle being borrowed by the world's biggest bureaucracy (since they owe money already). As the CNN article mentions, that money was given to big banks, but 700 Billion Bucks is almost enough to buy every one of the 821 publicly traded "finance sector" companies in America, based on the Wilshire 5000 index.

If you were spending all that money, couldn't you have bought all those banks and insurance companies and fired all the worthless executives, instead of giving them bonuses? But instead of being fired or having their company going bust, these guys "got paid" by the Bush and Obama mobs.

Now the US government is planning on spending a total of $8.5 Trillion to save us all. That number is so much more than the government has ever spent on anything. So just how much could you buy with that much printed money? You could purchase every single company available on the US stock markets for just $7.9 Trillion. You could even waste the last trillion on African dictators or another "peacekeeping mission" in the Middle East.

I imagine Obama calling up his Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Salomon Smith Barney Goldman Sacs broker, and telling him to "just start buying". The excited MMSDWSSBGS broker asks "which company?" Obama says, "something big." "How about BofA or Citigroup?" "Don't you remember we bought those in the fall, and you're welcome for the bonus," says Obama with crossed arms. The flustered broker asks how much the President is ready to spend. The reply is, "between 5 and 10 billion." "This might take a while and the prices might get run up on us." Obama says, "I have 8 years and money is no object, so get to it." Hanging up he concludes, "that ought to fix the crisis."

So who is going to pay for this planned spending spree? Governments are created to take money from producers and give it to those politically connected and those willing to use force to take it. Bush and Obama are taking this theft to new heights for the US Empire. With FDR they had to invent an income tax along with a SS tax to cover the borrowing. Since then, the taxes have gone up to 30-50% of our labor and dollars are worth 2 cents. So either they will tax another $50,000 from every American, or have the Federal Reserve print money and pay their bonds off. Will people pay or accept ever-more-worthless money in payment?

I have no interest in supplying the US government with money for war, nation building/tearing down, torture, make-work projects, or corporate bailouts. I have not paid income or SS taxes to the Feds for about 10 years, so I am adding to their troubles.

"If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law."
Henry David Thoreau

So what is your position? What you spend time and money on shows your priorities. Is Obama spending money in a way that you would? Will you support him or withdraw your support?

"How does it become a man to behave towards the American government today? I answer, that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it."
Henry David Thoreau

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Jesus Christ, Luke 12:34