Quotes of the Day

Arnold Kling:

Instead of thinking of the pending bailouts and financial regulation as a new era of government supervisions of markets, think of it as preserving the system in which a Harvard elite controls other people’s money. In fact, very little is likely to change. Reading the news stories about how Secretary Paulson plans to implement the bailout, it seems as though the same people will be in charge of the money. Print some new business cards, change the logo on the front from “Goldman Sachs” to “U.S. Treasury,” and everything else continues as it was. It’s just that it becomes a lot more difficult for ordinary people to opt out of using the elite’s money management services.

Indeed. Alexander Hamilton would be so happy.

And from across the pond, Eamonn Butler:

When the government is persuading the casino to hand out free chips and the regulators are standing drinks at the bar, you shouldn’t be surprised if the customers place a few risky bets.

There’s a Gamblers Anonymous and an Alcoholics Anonymous, but no-one has yet devised a 12 steps program to wean the world off government.

Tagged as: alcoholics, Bailout Watch, goldman sachs, Paulson, quotes of the day, regulators, u s treasury