Suicide bombers of the economy

We're all Palestinian nut jobs now. Virtual suicide bombers of the economy.

Americans saw the prospect of a Wall Street bailout, and they freaked out. Started yelling "Death to the infidels!" Declared that if not pulling the financial markets' chestnuts out of the fire meant another Great Depression, then bring it on.

That's what enraged folks were telling reporters and cheerfully saying on talk radio all across the United States -- bring it on. Well, it's on. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 777.68 points today.

WHAT MIGHT have happened had Congress' failure to pass the "bailout bill" not come more than halfway through the trading day . . . before the Democrats and Republicans melted down into paroxysms of partisan s*** slinging?

Yep, barring a miracle of policy and politics, we really just might have us a depression now. Like H.L. Mencken said so long ago, "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

Who'd have thought what American voters most wanted was to be just like some Palestinian nut job, so intent on killing Jews that he's perfectly willing to blow himself up -- and whatever other Arabs might be within blast range -- too? Today, just change "Jews" to "investment bankers."

That's what a clear majority of Americans have opted for -- blowing up the economy (and themselves . . . and their friends . . . and their neighbors . . . and their children) on the off chance all those Wall Street robber barons might be reduced from obscenely rich to moderately rich.

IN THEIR FIT of pique -- and in their abject denial that their own greed might have played any role whatsoever in America's financial crisis -- ordinary Americans have turned down what Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House minority leader, called "a crap sandwich" in favor of strapping on an explosive vest.

A smart lot we Americans are. A smart lot who think the Palestinians are nuts.

If you want to put a Biblical spin on matters, maybe this is a prime example of why Jesus said we have to forgive others "70 times seven" times. Grudges and hatred make you blind -- blind to your own faults . . . your own sin . . . and your own self-interest.

Today, through our elected representatives, we've struck a powerful and wounding blow to the evil greedheads of Wall Street. We may not survive our glorious victory.

And neither may our children.

We must be so proud.