After the banks and the auto industry, what is next? Can the...

[IAAW]

...government do anything about it?

[Steven H]

The CAN, but unfortunately, they don't get it.

They need to step off - making the companies government owned is a really bad solution - the government never makes anything MORE profitable.

[leavin#1]

Next is the derivatives market which will be the real atomic bomb in all of this, I will try to put this into some perspective.

The U.S. GDP is measured at approx. $15 trillion

The U.S. mortgage market is valued at approx. $13 trillion

The Derivatives market is valued at approx. $600 TRILLION

This would be a good time to get familiar with the term you will be hearing much about it around February '09. It will make that little sub prime thing look like a pail full of cute kittens.

Can the government do anything about it? Only attempt to manage the spin and the revolt.

[artprost]

Its like a welfare line. The next I foresee is food or retail industry

[senior]

The municipal governments; then business like circuit city, Lowes, Home Depot, Wendys, McDonalds, Burger King.
Everybody will be in like to get their"share" of the spreading of wealth.
When the working public's pockets are empty and turned inside out, they will start trying to get blood out of the turnips.

[Snappy]

I hope our country doesn't go bankrupt. Now individual states are asking for bailouts and credit card companies will be next.

[I love Obama 3]

No, they all must fail and be rebuilt the correct way. Banks are allowed to charger insane fees for overdrafts and statements. Once people wake up and stoop bouncing checks and the only way to do that is to stop writing them and pay more in cash most banks will go out of business. The auto industry will fail if they have a Union the ones without a Union will survive. So, there is really nothing to worry about. Let them fail and use your time and energy to protect your family.

[Ronald K]

Your account, This is how a government take over begins. Once the government has control of these things do u really think they er giving them back?

[Lisa S]

Thirty years back, we became a "service economy".

Meaning we gave up being a manufacturing  nation. Even now, how much of our foodstuffs come from another country?

We need to regroup, and re-think our economic ideas to include tariffs on goods from other countries, or we will be in deep doo doo...

[LucyInTheSky]

And all the Republicans screamed "socialist" at Obama... when their president now is making decisions to become more "socialist" as well.  In  bad economic times, its natural to turn to more government run programs and ideas.  FDR did that kind of stuff during the Great Depression.  Its just people being scared and angry that are getting so upset.

[grob]

California was asking for a bailout a few weeks ago.