That quote is from an AIG employee and appearently a sentiment that many of them feel. With a righteous indignation usually reserved for the likes of Pat Robertson, the internal works of AIG is mad at the American taxpayer for acting so unjustly about making them give up bonuses.

I wasn't kidding about the Pat Robertson thing. Read the article for yourself. The amount of sheer arrogance is would be infuriating if it weren't just so damn impressive. I mean honestly what's the solution here when you're dealing with such an unbelievable sense of entitlement?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...64_pf.html?dbk

The threat of releasing the names of employees who got bonuses is a pretty scummy move, especially after they have already received violent threats. Their argument is valid though, they were promised compensation for their employment, bonus considerations were probably written out in their contracts, and the simply want the company to honor that contract. I suppose the "correct" solution here is for the government to step in and somehow force AIG to nullify legal contracts at the cost that would come in the form of lawsuits? If you had a contract with your employer to pay bonuses on a set schedule, I'm pretty sure you would want the money regardless of what Joe Public had to say about it.

Its been beaten to death but the American public does get to should part of the blame for the financial meltdown. Just because a bank will give you a dirt cheap mortgage you can't afford to pay doesn't justify you taking that mortgage and being financially irresponsible.

I agree with this, but that is not the behavior he is referencing. He is referencing the public demanding they not get bonuses. Also, your arguement about "legal" contracts goes out the window once the company collapsed. Their company failed and they were given money to bounce back with the understanding that they need to change their policies so that it wouldn't happen again. The employess seem beyond offended that they should have to even consider changing their ways despite the fact those ways ruined them and many others.

I can see where they're coming from. If my boss suddenly threatened to not pay me my agreed on salary I'd be pretty pissed. I still 100% think we should have let every company fail.

What would your plan have been for society with 25% unemployment and the Dow at 5,000?

My understanding is that AIG still owes the US Govt @ 130 Billion dollars.

I have no problem with bonuses. I do have a problem with the accounting principles that could be used to calculate those bonuses, and I have a problem with the amounts of the bonuses.

The issue isn't letting them fail. The issue is not letting anyone get so big that their failure could cause such a large threat to our economy.

Culling

My first reaction was to almost understand the employee, because it would suck to be promised something and then not get it. Then I realized he likely wouldn't even still have a job if they weren't bailed out, so F him and his bonus. He can find a different job if this one isn't paying him what he deserves. Chances are he was simply being paid more than he truly deserves though.

This thread will get killed soon, but it is absolutely LOL that people are complaining about these bonuses. We are talking about ~$165 MILLION, when the total cost of the bailout is somewhere around ~$182 BILLION.

The bonuses are a non issue, and in most cases are not even bonuses in the way normal people think of them. All the outrage should be pointed towards Geithner and Paulson for just handing over $200 bil to their cronies.

AIG has a lot of profitable business branches. They have one that required billions of dollars from the government to prevent from collapsing the US economy. The bonuses are part of a salary structure in the financial sector. Picture yourself working in some profitable branch of AIG. you do a good job. Your boss does a good job. Your whole branch does a good job. but the company fails because of someone you've never met writing a ton of bad CDSs.

Now you get death threats. The company issues a memo telling you to be careful in the company parking lot. To not wear anything in public that says AIG on it. And you are told you are a greedy bastard that doesn't deserve a job and needs to take an immediate pay cut for a check you were counting on receiving for your entire year's work.

It's a ****ty situation and when you express the fact its ****ty, people yell at you for being greedy again. Not saying they should get bonuses but I also don't think they deserve to be compared to pat robertson because they are frustrated and say angry things.