Halloween Hijinks vs. Wailing the Bailout Blues

Well, it's time to do the math again. The great hue and cry,
hankie-wringing hullabaloo about "the bailouts are ruining
the U.S. economy, drastically deepening the debt" isn't
justified by the numbers. Out of the 787 or so billions
loaned out to various organizations, the government
expects to have most of that returned to the taxpayers
save a relatively paltry 51 billion, according to the
Associated Press: yes, this is no typo, 51 billion out
of 787 billion, out of an economy which boasts an annual
GDP of about FOURTEEN TRILLION. (AGAIN, NOT a typo.)

Dealing debt disaster out to the hustings to batter
politicians and philosophies one doesn't like is not only
scary, it's very dangerous as well. Oh, and a far more
deliberate lie than anything else going right now:

So, woe is highly appropriate this Halloween season;
sure, scare everyone witless about the economy, apparently
high unemployment numbers aren't bad enough. Irresponsible?
So what?? Anything goes in love and war--love my own ideas,
hate anyone on the opposite side of the political divide; and,
by golly, it's war, complete with victims,victors and spoils.

Enjoy Halloween but don't fall for the bailout wailers
who either can't or won't do the math. The national debt
is indeed problematic, but one that comes and goes. Now
and again there are even surpluses.

....Alas, no surplus of common sense in America, that
scarcity scares me, whatever the holiday.