An Unsettled View on "After the Settlement Settles"

Europeans did purchase a plot of land -- later Manhattan -- for $24 worth of trinkets. Historian and Sociologist points out, however, in "Lies My Teacher Told Me", that the Dutch traders paid off the wrong tribe. Ongoing disputes continued unabated for years following the forced and defrauded take-over of what is now currently some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

Now, the dream of owning land turned into the dream-turned-nightmare of many Americans, who saw home ownership as the way into wealth, social mobility, and the good life.

Class action suits to resolve corporate misconduct ultimately work out the same drip-drip of settlements, and much of the time either compensating the wrong people, or doing very little to correct the wrongdoing which instigated the massive home crisis four years ago. Insiders in large banks, major corporation, indeed collude with Big Government to make off with a lot of money -- our money, to be sure.

Still, populism raging at banks does not solve our problem. Demanding that government do more to regulate, instigate, and inculcate change to avoid another economic downturn like the Great Recession will only open the door for more corruption, dysfunction, and humiliation.

Without a doubt, the country cannot exclusively blame "the little guy" for the massive market failures which dragged down the economy and major financial firms here and across the globe. President Bush did push Americans to take on homeowner status. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offered to subsidize subprime mortgages, threatening banks with discrimination lawsuits for failing to offer loans to subprime lenders. Yet now happy homeowners across the country have conceded that they should have thought twice before signing on the dotted line for a subprime mortgage. Financial advisor Suze Orman has counseled many overwhelmed Americans to give up the homes and other propertied liabilities that are sinking their peace.

Corporate Collusion with Big Government ends the moment that the "little guy" stops expecting Big Brother to watch out for him and safeguard him from the poor decisions of politicians, the neighbors, or himself.