socializing the banks

In doing the math, say dividing the $700 billion we're forking over to "fix" the economy, by the estimated ten million households (U.S. Census bureau's 2010 estimate), it equals out to about $70,000 per household. Well, damn, my house only cost $25,000. I imagine there are lots of small livable houses for that price or less, especially in dilapidated urban and rural areas. It seems giving money to American people rather than corporations would make a lot more fiscal sense and provide a lot more security to our citizenry, to have every American owning their own home. Wouldn't we be rather impervious to most any financial collapse, if we weren't in danger of losing our homes? The government could even set up an economic renewal program repopulating urban and rural ghettos, focusing on remaking them as walkable functioning neighborhoods within cities, and promoting reclaimed lots & fields for small scale local agricultural and livestock (chickens, goats, bees, etc.) entrepreneurships.

Surely some of our elected leaders have more vision and scope of creativity than just rewarding greedy bankers with wads of someone else's money (our lives even, which is what we trade the money for, and those of our grandchildren, observing the raising of the absolute maximum debt cap!) when the pyramid scheme flounders. It seems the same old isn't going to do much lasting adjustments, but will continue to reward those who invest in short-term get rich, long-term bankruptcy kinds of options. A public works administration focused on rebuilding our country's infrastructure and vital necessary non-industries (farming!) could employ thousands of Americans, effectively jumpstarting the economy rather immediately. Why is giving money to guys in suits considered good for our country, but to give money to our citizens disgusting and pathetic welfare?

Loved this book by Curtis White, The Spirit of Disobedience: Resisting the Charms of Fake Politics, Mindless Consumption, and the Culture of Total Work. (The author lives an hour from me, but we'll never meet in person, because neither of us drive. Ha!)