From what I understand about the Geithner plan, we as taxpayers are paying for something like 90 percent of the cost (and risk) to invest in these horribly twisted assets -- these credit default swaps and the like -- but if they pay off, Spazzy White Guys on Wall Street get rich and taxpayers get nothing out the transaction.
In other words, Geithner is giving Spazzy White Guys a 90 Percent Off gift card.
Spazzy White Guys pay 10 percent to invest, we pay 90 percent.
Spazzy White Guys keep all the profits if it works, and we get nothing.
And even then, at the end of the day, it only covers 25 percent of the estimated $4 trillion in toxic assets. So even if we get a trickle-down benefit from an improved banking system and stock market, we don't get any profits and large chunks of the banking system could still fail if the rest of the $3 trillion in toxic assets can't be obliterated.
Am I right? No?