-----Original Message----- The underlying problem you are referring to here is actually the same between the automotive and financial industry: huge liabilities that were never properly factored into the balance sheet of the companies that issued them. Just like GM and Ford never set aside the money they needed to pay out the pension / health care rights the financial industry never set aside the money for the CDS'es they sold.
> For whatever reason, fair or not, the automotive industry has problems > that cannot be fixed without major changes. It took the automotive industry about 40 years to come to the point where they may not be able to meet their obligations. It took the financial industry 8 years to blow up spectacularly. Compared to the changes the financial industry needs, the automotive industry really only needs very minor changes. It is just that when the Wall Street stops, society collapses within a week and when Detroit stops, society at large won't notice for a year or so. That is the ultimate reason why they won't get a bailout like Wall Street got. --- I'm sorry but that is a horrible comparison and it's not only my opinion but the opinion of many others that believe a) the banking system gets a bail out because of its importance, which you agree with but b) because it's worth saving. Trading losses are not really liabities, they are losses. It's part of trading. Most funds could absorb the losses, it is usually the loss of confidence and the redemptions that ruin the fund. Posting MBA or CDOs as collateral is no different than someone putting up their house for a loan. Problems arise when your house was officially marked at x but later was written down to .5x. Unfortunately, they levered up too much and their risk profile was too high. This is different than an insurance company, like AIG, that were originating the CDs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:279736 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
