The flip side...

In reacting to today's restrictions on executive pay imposed by the federal government, two things come to mind:

1. Am I the only person who is scared to death by the fact that the federal government (actually, the President personally) is placing restrictions on salaries in the private sector? Is there anyone else left out there who believes in free markets? Or has everyone bought into the era of Hope and Change?
2. Part of me says that the morons at these wall street firms who showed up in Washington with their damn hands out are getting exactly what they deserve. If you choose to be dependent on the government, the government now controls you. The rest of us out here in the real world should think long and hard about this episode before asking the government for our "universal" healthcare and our "affordable" housing.
3. A companion story in today's news is that BoA's share price is dropping dangerously on worries that the government will take over the company. Don't people get it yet? The best thing that could happen for BoA, Wells, Chase, and the rest is for the feds to come out tomorrow and guarantee that they will not nationalize the banking industry. The market is scared to death that the little shareholder value left in these companies will be blown away if/when The Messiah decides he can run them better than their boards.