Robbin' Hoods

It is a common misconception that Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor. In point of fact, Robin Hood retrieved from the corrupt and greed Sheriff of Nottingham what the latter had illegitimately expropriated from the hard-working common folk and returned the ill gotten wealth to same. In other words, Robin Hood took back from the tyrannical state what that government had improperly and immorally taken from the people. The citizenry was only poor because the state seized what wealth they had.

With this historical tidbit in mind, let me direct you to the latest snarlings of Congress and others in various levels of government. Some are "upset" about the fact that AIG, the insurance giant-turned ward of the feds, has paid $165 million in bonuses. Much of the money went to the financial unit behind the disastrous credit default swaps. While this might seem horribly unfair on the surface, the deeper truth is that AIG was contractually obligated to pay this money out, and did so with the full knowledge and at least tacit approval of the all the bigwigs overseeing TARP and the bailouts. That would mainly be Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner (who failed to pay income taxes for several years). So now the majority party in Congress, the loonies who has passed the bailout legislation, are hopping mad and want that money back. Listen to Sen. Schumer...



First, this is so disingenuous because Congress had the opportunity to limit how bailout money could be spend, but they didn't. In fact, Sen. Chris Dodd, head of the Banking Committee, specifically added an amendment that did away with limits on bonuses and compensation. Further, Congress and the Administration used AIG to, effectively, launder money. Federal tax dollars went to AIG, which was then directed to send that money to hedge funds, investment banks, and foreign financial groups who otherwise wouldn't have gotten TARP money.

Second, we can plainly see that those in power in Washington obviously believe that what the government giveth, the government can taketh away, and will do so by use of coercive force. Yeah, I really want these people in charge of my healthcare, business, energy sources, and everything else involved with my daily life. Today it's executives at AIG, tomorrow it could be "stimulus" dollars used for projects that Congress or Obama doesn't like. Maybe then they will decide that you didn't spend your own income properly or that your profession is making too much money. Now I direct you back to the story of Robin Hood and ask you to consider just whose money and wealth we're talking about here, and just who the greedy and morally-bankrupt players are. I think you'll see who the real 'hoods are and who's really being robbed.