A recent severe crash in the stock market of Arkondia and a plummet of the value of the Arc has brought the issue of government bailouts to the forefront of the national agenda.

The Debate

"We need to do something now! The people's welfare -- not to mention all my side businesses -- are in serious danger!" screams your finance minister Abraham Smith. "We need an extensive support program for the businesses that make our country great, otherwise we might as well join ranks with those... third-world countries," he shudders. "Never mind that all the businesses on this list are owned by my relatives!"

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"You're talking about doing what!?" screams Mia Licorish, a noted fiscal conservative and libertarian scholar. "Government bailouts won't solve anything. They'll only redistribute wealth to those the government happens to favor at that particular moment, while placing a crushing burden onto everybody else. The government must instead cut taxes across the board and axe all unnecessary social programs, particularly our welfare system."

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"This brings up an interesting point," remarks socialist author Wil Longbottom. "Why do we allow businesses to become "too big to fail?" The solution, surely, is to break up businesses before they reach such a size that they threaten our economy. Imagine it: community-based businesses, run for the benefit of the little people, not faceless, money-grubbing investment banks! Is there really a reason corporations need to be big?"