A little more than 140 years ago, the southern states decided they wanted to be independent states (like nations), and they formed a loose confederation in order to confront the national government in order to do so. They hired a brilliant general and fought a bankrupting war and failed in their objective.

Many years later, a carpetbagger from the northeast showed up with a better plan. "Look," he said in his newly acquired twang, "I've got a better idea. You take over the company, then bankrupt it. This works like a charm. I've done it several times already. You've just got to be careful not to have rich relatives and friends to bail you out." And he assured them that he knew exactly how to offend those rich relatives and friends so that they'd never interfere.

"I've got capital, … now I intend to spend it." — President Bush.

Some people have never met a dollar that didn't burn a hole in their pockets, even when that dollar belonged to someone else.

And so it goes.