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Sensacional artigo da Caroline Baum:

Junior Asks Daddy, Where Do Bailouts Come From: Caroline Baum

Commentary by Caroline Baum 

Junior had been watching Mom and Dad

sulk around the house for weeks, wondering what was going on. Mom

still tucked him in at night, and Dad played stick ball with him

on weekends. Yet both parents seemed distracted and detached.

     Finally, he could stand it no longer.

     “Mom, Dad, what’s wrong? You seem so depressed.”

     “Well, son,” his father began. “Your mother and I have

lost a lot of money in the stock market, like many other people

who work hard and save to send their kids to college and provide

for themselves in their retirement. We don’t like to burden you.

I see now that we should have explained what was going on a long

time ago. Sit down, Junior.”

     “Thanks, dad. I get upset when I hear kids at school talk

about their dads’ companies getting bailed out. What does that

mean?”

     “The government has been handing out money to banks, other

financial institutions — even the auto companies. It hasn’t done

much to help middle-class folks like us, which isn’t fair.”

     “Mrs. Adams talks about fairness a lot in school,” Junior

said. “She says it’s not fair for some people to be very rich

and others to be very poor, that the government should do

something about it.”

     “That’s right, son,” Dad said. “The rich should pay more

in taxes to reduce the gap between rich and poor, something they

call income inequality.”

     “You mean, someone should punish them for being rich? That

would be like Coach putting me on the bench after hitting that

grand-slam home run in the bottom of the fifth in the Little

League championships. Why would Coach Perkins want to do that?”

                  Distinction without Difference

     “Er, it’s not the same, Junior.”

     “Yeah it is. Didn’t you always teach me to stick up for

myself? If Coach Perkins isn’t going to play me, I’m not going to

stick around. I’ll go play for the Hornets, where I’ll be

rewarded for my effort and talent.”

     “Let’s move on. Did Mrs. Adams tell you how we got into

this mess? Banks loaned money to people who really couldn’t

afford a home of their own. When house prices started to fall,

these homeowners had no way of paying the interest on the loan.

So they lost their homes.”

     “That’s sad, Dad. Are we going to lose our house?”

     “No, son. Your mother and I have always lived within our

means.”

     “What happens to the people who get kicked out?”

     “The government has been trying to help, encouraging

lenders to give them new loans.”

     “If they couldn’t afford the old loan, how can they afford

the new one?”

                            Toy Story

     “Junior, you ask too many questions. The government is

bailing out the banks because without them, no one could get

credit — borrow money. The government is bailing out U.S.

automakers because it doesn’t want to put a lot more folks out of

work at a time when the unemployment rate is already soaring. And

because the U.S. needs its domestic auto industry.”

     “Why? KB Toys is going out of business, and you and Mom

still bought me toys for Christmas. I know I’m not supposed to

know, but I peeked in Mom’s closet.”

     “This is more complicated, son.”

     “How do you get a bailout, Dad? Does it go to good or bad

companies?”

                         Bailout Criteria

     “I know it must sound strange, Junior. Many of the

companies getting government money did bad things. They took

risks with other people’s money. They padded their own pockets

instead of watching out for their customers. And they lost a lot

of money in the process.”

     “How do you get paid to do bad things? You don’t give me my

allowance unless I walk Rusty after school, take out the garbage

and clean up my room.”

     “You’re right, Junior. The government should really help

those in need.”

     “C’mon Dad. If it were that simple, the government could

write everyone a check for a million dollars, and make us all

rich.”

     “Junior, I can tell you really have a knack for this stuff.

I’m glad I could help you.”

     “Thanks, Dad. Do you know where Mom is?”