Two things. I've been a trader for a long time. Bear has screwed over plenty of people on trades, and in their prime brokerage activities. They laugh and say, "You got your face ripped off!" Now they come hat in hand for a bailout from John and Jane Public. Most Importantly. Something I haven't yet heard. Any future Wall Street bailout should come from within Wall Street. Wether it's a small fee on transactions, or whatever other method is used to raise money for a bailout fund, it will make more sense to recover the money from within Wall Street than from the taxpayer. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aN.cnCGH92GQ&refer=home