Well, maybe I'm wrong.
The media has presented the bailout as basically a gift from government to banks.
(apeloverage committed the vile act of onanism on, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 19:39, 4 replies)

Must be true then.
Bloody banks coming over here and taking our jobs.
( The Awful Puppy Bakery is still bored, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 19:53, closed)

hahaha!

(irv made you eat your parents in a chilli on, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 20:56, closed)

well known for their accuracy
our media, aren't they?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 15 Jun 2010, 8:49, closed)

Put it like this.
It would be a bit like me bailing you out of a hole by buying your house from you. In the short term, well, you'd have some capital. But in the long term, I've got your house. And since, long term, property and shares always increase in value, in the long term, I've got the better deal. The much better deal.

The government won't sell the shares they got in the "bailout" in near future because they want to at least pretend to retain some control over the banks, and by sitting as major shareholders, they can do that. But if they did sell they would wipe out a major part of our current deficit. The ToryDems of course won't admit that, because it was a Labour plan, so they can't say it was anything other than shit.

In general, people seem to have this idea that these big nasty evil banks just do what they want and pull the strings of the government, but having seen it a little from the other side, you need to be up fucking early in the morning to get one over the Treasury. Even if you are RBS.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 15 Jun 2010, 8:57, closed)

This would be the media, who's aims include
a) selling newspapers
b) selling advertising
c) Getting one party elected/out of government.

Which do you think does a), b) and c) better "DEMON BANKERS RUINED YOUR LIFE!!!!" or a detailed, balanced essay on the causes of the current financial crisis.

The media plays to the crowd. If you read lots of different media sources, you will get lots of slightly different opinions, and perceptions of the truth.

For example, the current hoo-hah about CGT,

The Telegraph : "RAISING CGT WILL SCREW YOUR FAMILY AND THIS COUNTRY"
The Guardian : "RAISING CGT DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO ERASE THE INEQUALITIES IN THIS SOCIETY"
The Sun : "KELLY 36D SAYS - WHAT DOES CGT STAND FOR?"
( The Teviot Moose major 5th., Tue 15 Jun 2010, 9:04, closed)

Actually, these days
"KELLY 36D SAYS - RAISING CGT WILL WIN US THE WAR ON TERROR AS LONG AS OUR LORD DAVEY C STAYS IN POWER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO STICK YOUR HEAD INBETWEEN THEM AND GO BURBLEBURBLEBURBLE?"
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 15 Jun 2010, 9:08, closed)

Yes please.

( The Teviot Moose major 5th., Tue 15 Jun 2010, 9:12, closed)