Akkam’s Razor

First off, the die has been cast. No matter how much money we’ve thrown at the situation, it will simply have the effect of taking your shoes off at the airport - creating an illusion of safety. Post-bailout, we will have $1.3T reasons to feel that all will be well, and that the disaster has passed. But those will be illusions.

Oh Dear. Hank Paulson’s transcript, via Calculated Risk:

The federal government must implement a program to remove these illiquid assets that are weighing down our financial institutions and threatening our economy. This troubled asset relief program must be properly designed and sufficiently large to have maximum impact, while including features that protect the taxpayer to the maximum extent possible. The ultimate taxpayer protection will be the stability this troubled asset relief program provides to our financial system, even as it will involve a significant investment of taxpayer dollars. I am convinced that this bold approach will cost American families far less than the alternative - a continuing series of financial institution failures and frozen credit markets unable to fund economic expansion.

If you are aware of all internet traditions, you may be reminded of the above picture, which was inspired by this scene in Star Wars:Return of the Jedi with Admiral Ackbar:

Perhaps I should have retitled this post as from the Department of Mixed Metaphors or Unintended Interpretations?