The Government has loaned AIG Billions to stay in Business and avoid takeover. Also with the news, of the possibility of Government infusing cash in banks to sure up balance sheets. Why doesn't the government take a look at the Wachovia situation. Would it not be better for the shareholders, employees, and American Public to use the above instruments to keep Wachovia Independent? Give Bob Steele a chance to rescue Wachovia and continue to give people more choice in Banking.

Scott/Charlotte

Thank you for the great work you're all doing, along with Mr Ali Velshi, Ms Maggie Lake, and all the other folk, who are based in CNN-USA. Poor Mr Roth has had to stand about on Wall Street, through thin and thinner, for the past fortnight. I'm an old N'Yawker, and the wind can be very chilly off the Ocean, down on Wall Street. That's not only meant metaphorically!

Did you lot know, that Business International, and all the Biz programmes, are sponsored by investment banks, and deregulated financial zones in South Korea, the UAE, and Dubai? The irony is almost, but not quite, hilarious.

It's the sort of thing that would be funny, if it were meant to be humour. As things are, it's just ironic. :-(

I'm holding my breath, waiting to hear what the Lord Chancellor (is he still called that, or am I just an atavism?) has to say to Parliament, before the London FTSE 100 opens, tomorrow morning. It'll come shortly after the Debate coverage is over, I reckon.

*sigh*

We live in 'interesting times'. That's an ancient, Chinese curse: 'May you live in interesting times'. Times that are the most interesting to read about, are not so pleasant for those who live through them. Poor old Iceland... unbelievable. Never trust a 'bubble'.

There was trouble with Britain's housing markets well before the 'mortgage-meltdown'.

You're spot-on, when you say: The problem there is of course that loans for such projects will in all probability be harder to come by and perhaps prohibitively expensive.

Folk couldn't afford new houses, nor to fix their old houses, before All This started. The housing prices in Britain were mind-bogglingly inflated. Now, they are less inflated. All that means is the equity people had accrued is suddenly not worth what it was, and they can't put it toward a new house, because it's so little money now, even if the banks were lending.

It's a no-win. I feel for builders, and everyone whose livings had to do with the housing-sector.

To change the subject slightly, but not entirely, you lot have been talking about 'lack of confidence', a great deal.

I just heard Ben Bernanke speak, and the Dow crashed over 250 points, during his speech! No confidence? Not a jot.

What he said, which was actually very little, if one cut out all the words, in search of substance, was not confidence-inspiring! 'Things are bad. We don't know how much worse they will get. They will take a long time to get better. We have no idea how long they will take', was the substance of his speech. I'm surprised the Dow didn't fall further! Oh. I just heard it has. No confidence.

Fasten your seat-belts; it's gonna be a bumpy [next few years]!

Why is it worse in the UK, than it is, in the States? That's the bit I can't fathom. Could someone answer that question? I'm a bit ignorant about the UK economy... Is it just that we were already worse off? (I only moved back to England in 2006, after forty years abroad.)