[PghBaldy]

What’s the stretch? The banking system is unsound, and the FDIC is near broke. They would have collapsed without support. ALL of the major banks and brokers would have collapsed last year.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“They would have collapsed without support. ALL of the major banks and brokers would have collapsed last year.”

That is a huge leap. Maybe true.
Or maybe most of the spending was wasteful and the free market would have sorted things out with much less govt involvement.
And the strong companies that Buffet owned would have done even better?

[HereInTheHeartland]

“They would have collapsed without support. ALL of the major banks and brokers would have collapsed last year.”

That is a huge leap. Maybe true.
Or maybe most of the spending was wasteful and the free market would have sorted things out with much less govt involvement.
And the strong companies that Buffet owned would have done even better?

[Mr. Lucky]

...and the smaller, non-money center banks, have had their FDIC insurance rates skyrocket to subisdize their bigger, poitically well heeled, competitors.

[JasonC]

Um, by your own claim, the authorities did the right and necessary thing in saving them, then. And anyone betting on it that way was brave to do so, as well as correct. What on earth is supposed to be wrong or a "betrayal" in a particle of it? Do you think you or anyone had some a priori *right* to demand that all major banks fail?

Here is a hint - you don't.