Why can't we do that?

In the land where capitalism is king, you would think the big bosses swanning off with taxpayers' cash would be nigh impossible to stop - the American mantra of personal gain certainly seems to respect contractual obligations over moral ones

And yet, the Americans have pretty much succeeded in reining back their version of the fat cat bonuses - and mostly through voluntary actions as well

Wait a minute...what? Why didn't they just slither off the hook like their British counterparts?

Do the Americans have inherently better moral standards? Somehow I doubt the executives who preside over the stereotypically ruthless American business practice are saints

No, instead it probably has more to do with the reverse, in fact - the American obsession with wealth creation and disdain for the welfare state (or as they call it 'socialism'), or in fact any spending of their 'tax dollars' that isn't for killing dark-skinned people, has meant that their bail-out is particularly disliked - something that works against the fundamental free-market heart of every American, (for a British comparison, imagine when someone barges the queue at the post office)

These fat cats probably feared for their lives, and if TV is anything to go by they probably had a visit from people in unmarked suits and sunglasses carrying thumbscrews as well

They choose the appeasement option, even though they didn't really have to, unlike the British who seem to have no worries about buggering off with taxpayer money that prevented them going bankrupt - maybe it's a class thing, since when have the upper classes ever acted in anyone but their own interests? They are after all, well within the law, except for Harriet's 'special' court

I digress, I'm starting to sound like a rabid communist - I'm just surprised that the British rags haven't really hammered it home that the Americans are succeeding where we failed, after all, Sir Fred Goodwin is still on the loose

Of course were I a rational person I would note that the British press have a fixation on a select few and the Americans are nowhere near as biting when it comes to vilifying people, there will probably be people at AIG who don't return their bonuses, but the American press will be placated by what has been recouped - the truth is the British tabloid press are never happy

But that wouldn't be any fun would it?