Those companies were already in ruins.
This proposal would kill the DOW. What would happen to healthy blue-chip companies that are relying on those stock values for their major capital projects?
These corporations would suddenly find themselves with under-water projects and no shareholder value to underpin them because of forced sell-offs at depressed prices.
The federal government will end up creating new GM's and AIG's overnight.
And who would buy back these stocks? Somebody has to be a buyer if the government is forcing 401(k) holders into selling. Would people be forced to sell their stock assets in 401(k)'s, only to buy them back at a lower price outside of a 401(k) structure?
This appears to be no different than when the Nazi's in 1930's Germany forced the Jews to sell their businesses at bargain prices or else face outright seizure.
-PJ
I agree with your points.
The Govt still owns AIG shares, I think.
It also happened to the Jap-Americans in 1942. They were given 2 weeks to sell everything before going off to camp. Needless to say, the prices they got were less than optimal.