De forma não completamente inesperada (as eleições para o Congresso colocam os congressistas entre a espada e a parede) a maioria dos republicanos (130) votou contra a proposta de resgate do sistema financeiro e uma parte importante (94) dos democratas fez o mesmo. A partir daqui a incógnita acerca do futuro da economia norte-americana, e por arrastamento a economia mundial, ganhou uma dimensão de consequências que ninguém certamente saberá agora dimensionar.
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A menos que alguns daqueles que hoje votaram contra mudem de opinião amanhã, a pretensa coerência dos rebeldes afundará muitos colossos de barro e as ondas desse afundamento afogarão sobretudo os mais vulneráveis. A inflação atingirá sobretudo os que detêm menos poder reivindicativo. Os grandes responsáveis terão entretanto encontrado abrigos sossegados.
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Qualquer que seja o rumo que os acontecimentos vierem a tomar, amanhã começa o séc XXI.
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House Narrowly Defeats Bailout Legislation
President Bush Had Urged Quick Approval
By Paul Kane and Lori Montgomery
President Bush Had Urged Quick Approval
By Paul Kane and Lori Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writers Monday, September 29, 2008; 2:42 PM
In a narrow vote, the House today rejected the most sweeping government intervention into the nation's financial markets since the Great Depression, refusing to grant the Treasury Department the power to purchase up to $700 billion in the troubled assets that are at the heart of the U.S. financial crisis.
The 228-205 vote amounted to a stinging rebuke to the Bush administration and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., and was sure to sow massive anxiety in world markets. Just 11 days ago, Paulson urged congressional leaders to quickly approve the bailout. He warned that inaction would lead to a seizure of credit markets and a virtual halt to the lending that allows Americans to acquire mortgages and other types of loans.
As it became apparent that the measure was heading to defeat, stock markets took a steep dive. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 700 points but then rebounded a bit. Shortly before 4 p.m., the Dow was down more than 550 points. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index was down 5.4 percent and the Nasdaq was off 6 percent.
After a week of intense debate in both party caucuses, House members opposed the bill just five weeks before they face voters in an election that is shaping up as a referendum on the economy.
"Today's the decision day. I wish it weren't the case," said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, who kicked off three hours of impassioned debate just as the opening bell sounded on Wall Street this morning.
Global markets have followed the congressional negotiations closely since Paulson's dire warnings to congressional leaders in a Sept. 18 nighttime meeting in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). As debate began today, news broke that Citigroup was purchasing another troubled bank, Wachovia, and an hour into the debate the Dow Jones industrial average had dropped by 285 points.
The bailout plan would have allowed Paulson to spend up to $700 billion to relieve faltering banks and other firms of bad assets backed by home mortgages, which are falling into foreclosure at record rates. Paulson, and his successor in the next administration, would have given the government broad latitude to purchase any assets from any firms at any price and to assemble a team of individuals and institutions to manage them. Paulson and others hoped to contain a crisis that already has caused the failure or forced the rescue of a half-dozen major Wall Street firms and unnerved markets around the world.
Before the debate started, Bush issued a final public plea urging lawmakers to support the plan, acknowledging that the vote will be "difficult" in the face of opposition from taxpayers and voters, but necessary to protect the economy. "A vote for this bill is a vote to prevent economic damage to you and your community," Bush said, attempting to undercut arguments that the proposed legislation bolsters Wall Street at taxpayers' expense. "This is a bold bill that will keep the crisis in our financial system from spreading through our economy."
In a narrow vote, the House today rejected the most sweeping government intervention into the nation's financial markets since the Great Depression, refusing to grant the Treasury Department the power to purchase up to $700 billion in the troubled assets that are at the heart of the U.S. financial crisis.
The 228-205 vote amounted to a stinging rebuke to the Bush administration and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., and was sure to sow massive anxiety in world markets. Just 11 days ago, Paulson urged congressional leaders to quickly approve the bailout. He warned that inaction would lead to a seizure of credit markets and a virtual halt to the lending that allows Americans to acquire mortgages and other types of loans.
As it became apparent that the measure was heading to defeat, stock markets took a steep dive. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 700 points but then rebounded a bit. Shortly before 4 p.m., the Dow was down more than 550 points. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index was down 5.4 percent and the Nasdaq was off 6 percent.
After a week of intense debate in both party caucuses, House members opposed the bill just five weeks before they face voters in an election that is shaping up as a referendum on the economy.
"Today's the decision day. I wish it weren't the case," said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, who kicked off three hours of impassioned debate just as the opening bell sounded on Wall Street this morning.
Global markets have followed the congressional negotiations closely since Paulson's dire warnings to congressional leaders in a Sept. 18 nighttime meeting in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). As debate began today, news broke that Citigroup was purchasing another troubled bank, Wachovia, and an hour into the debate the Dow Jones industrial average had dropped by 285 points.
The bailout plan would have allowed Paulson to spend up to $700 billion to relieve faltering banks and other firms of bad assets backed by home mortgages, which are falling into foreclosure at record rates. Paulson, and his successor in the next administration, would have given the government broad latitude to purchase any assets from any firms at any price and to assemble a team of individuals and institutions to manage them. Paulson and others hoped to contain a crisis that already has caused the failure or forced the rescue of a half-dozen major Wall Street firms and unnerved markets around the world.
Before the debate started, Bush issued a final public plea urging lawmakers to support the plan, acknowledging that the vote will be "difficult" in the face of opposition from taxpayers and voters, but necessary to protect the economy. "A vote for this bill is a vote to prevent economic damage to you and your community," Bush said, attempting to undercut arguments that the proposed legislation bolsters Wall Street at taxpayers' expense. "This is a bold bill that will keep the crisis in our financial system from spreading through our economy."
4 comments:
Dizia-se:
"Ela vai bonita".
"Ela vai bonita".
E perigosa como nunca!
Perigosa para quem?
Para quem fez da actividade financeira uma roleta russa, ou para quem não tem nada que ver com aquilo?
Pensavam então que era só fechar fábricas, despedir aos milhares e que as coisas continuavam a rolar como antes?
Se assim pensam porque não vão para a India, China, Hungria, Albânia, Turquia captar depósitos e investimento local?
Principalmente depósitos dos trabalhadores locais.
São aos milhões!
"Perigosa para quem?"
Perigosa sobretudo para os mais desfavorecidos.
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