Amateur Asset Allocator header image

How To Get Bailed Out By The Government

April 22nd, 2008 · 7 Comments · Subscribe to this feed

It’s just not fair.  You studied hard in school, got a decent job, bought a used Honda when you really wanted that shiny new Panoz, paid off your credit card every month, and most importantly, bought a house you could actually afford with a regular mortgage.  You’re model of financial prudence and you pat yourself on the back for it daily.

The subprime crisis hits and you think you’re doing pretty well.  “Stupid suckers,” you say.  “They are getting what they deserve!  They could never afford that house to begin with.”  Well aren’t you a self-satisfied a-hole?  But like all self-satisfied a-holes, karma came back to haunt you.  Suddenly these “stupid suckers” start getting money from the government specifically because they were stupid suckers.  “Damn!” you exclaim.  “Why should I be punished for being responsible?”  But being the self-satisfied a-hole that you are, you soon forget all about it because you’re busy driving your vegan son to soccer practice in your smug-emitting hybrid.

But the Federal Reserve stepping in to bail out Bear Steans was the last straw.  Why can’t a regular guy get a break, you ask?  You can!  Here are three simple ways to get free money from the government.

Screw Up In An Election Year

Buying votes is an essential skill for every politician and they have gotten extremely good at it.  Do you really think any self-respecting politician up for re-election is going to turn down an opportunity to throw money at angry poor people?  Of course not!  Angry poor people are the ideal demographic for the vote-whoring politician because they will vote for practically anybody who promises them more hand-outs.  Why work or save money when you can just vote yourself more tax dollars from those self-satisfied rich bastards across town?  It’s karma.

Screw Up BIG

Let’s be frank, there was no way the Fed was going to allow a bank as large as Bear Stearns to fail because it would have set off a tidal wave of panic across the financial world.  Consumers and banks would lose confidence in the system, leading to yet more bank failures.  Worst off all, other countries might stop lending us vast sums of money to finance wars, bridges to nowhere, and crooked tax rebates if our financial system collapses.  Be a big fish in a small pond and you can do anything you want without worrying about the consequences.  In order to get rich and powerful enough for your screw-ups to bring down the financial system, you might have to sell drugs or blackmail somebody, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.

Sleep With Somebody In Office

The final and by far the most effective technique for getting free money from the government is to sleep with somebody in a position of authority.  It’s best if you can get a cabinet-level member but if not, a congressman/woman will do.

Like what you see here? Subscribe to my feed for more great content every day!

Bookmark and Share Submit to PFBuzz.com

Tags: Commentary

Related Posts

7 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Four Pillars // Apr 22, 2008 at 5:54 am

    Brilliant.

    I love the “smug-emitting hybrid”.

    Mike

  • 2 Bill // Apr 22, 2008 at 6:51 am

    Ditto Four Pillars’ comment!

    Great post. I couldn’t agree more.

  • 3 Mr. Cheap // Apr 22, 2008 at 7:24 am

    People being accountable for their actions? What a crazy, novel idea… That might just work!

  • 4 Kyle // Apr 22, 2008 at 7:43 am

    Personal accountability is so last season.

  • 5 Saturday Weigh-In And Links // Apr 26, 2008 at 3:41 am

    [...] over at the Amateur Asset Allocator had another excellent post called How To Get Bailed Out By The Government. He refers to the South Park line “smug-emitting hybrids” which made me laugh. I think [...]

  • 6 Hanks Weekly Hangouts #28 (May 4, 2008) | My Investing Blog // May 4, 2008 at 1:04 am

    [...] 4. AmateurAssetAllocator lets us know how to get bailed out by the government. [...]

  • 7 Gewburr // May 8, 2008 at 1:06 pm

    I’m not sure what’s worse– an irresponsible, debt-ridden overspender living in a mini-mansion with an entitlement mentality who gets bailed out by taxpayers… or… somone who lives within their means and saves and invests their money, but who secretly and enviously looks down their haughty nose at at the first guy.

    Don’t get upset with the overspenders– life will catch up with them soon enough, bailout or not.

Leave a Comment