Why would you choose this moment to reduce taxes on the wealthy?

Wilberforce, London,

J.Rijntjes, Lelystad, Netherlands - Sorry, but you have things backwards. The dems [in the 90s] deregulated the banks & pushed for easier money. Obama worked with ACORN which was part of this. McCain in '05 & '06 had bill to regulate Fannie & Freddie but defeated by dems.

Nona, New York City, USA

All these people are panicking about is saving their own fortunes at the expense of the taxpayers. Do you really think that they care about anyone but themselves ?. Nope of course they don't. Taxpayers are going to be paying last and future 10 years multi million bonuses for years to come.

mike, new york, usa

The plan, to buy all banks toxic debt using taxpayer dollars at a reduced valuation. If the assets fall below that value before liquidation by the treasury,then the bailed out institution will have to make up the shortfall.

Question: What happens if the shortfall or loss is so great they can't ???

Chris Simmonds, Herne Bay Kent, UK

I know nothing about finance, I mean high flight stuff with billions. But the guys you make and undo these billions are always the same people and amongst them those wringing our necks with oil prices. Then why not just tax share trading and tax highly shares belonging to the Gulf countries !

E. Bee, Toulouse, France

As a mortgagor I support the rescue but as a taxpayer I am disgusted. These guys can't mark to market instruments so opaque that they don't know what they are trading and the moral risk requires that these free marketeers are bailed out. They'll keep their billions and - just maybe - I keep a job.

Chris, London,

It all slightly unreal that the person who sought such unlimited powers that would make make a fascist dictator blush and is now bringing about the biggest robbery in history was one of the lead architects of the debacle - Wall St's favoured son Henry Paulson.

John, Motherwell, U.K

Laura.

The issues are not limited to the USA - you just have to look at Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley to see that.

Dave, New York, USA

Brown will be relieved, will he come out hiding now and claim it was all his doing?

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

The real reason for the current debacle is " ultralow interest rates" .Despite starring at the abyss , I donot hear any government voice talking about the real problem that there is no incentive for savers whatsoever. The real solution for todays crisis is gradual increase in interest rates.

abhay , London,

It's $700bn 'at any one time' so arguing over whether it is $700bn or $500bn is missing the point. If the treasury can shift the first $700bn even at a loss to far east investors the balance sheet entry will be cleared allowing another $700bn of the toxic assets to be purchased from the banks.

James Howie, London,

Lawmakers are also considering reducing taxes on the wealthy.

Why? What? How? Tax the rich more not less, and dam right they should take part ownership of the banks, other wise they will never get their money back!

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

This is bound to fail. The more preference given to the tax payer, the less the banks will see it as a good deal.

Mark, Camberley, UK

America the Fool.

The land of opportunity? Yes, the opportunity to speculate to accumulate.

And when the speculation pays off, you keep all the money.

When it doesn't. you still keep all the money, and the government will get millions of others to give you money as well so you don't get upset.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

Those Republican senate members opposing the deal are the same free market ideologues who facilitated this mess and are now trying to take a free ride on the democrats who accept that a solution is necessary. Bush ought to threaten to support them publicly. That will bring them in line (LOL).

J.Rijntjes, Lelystad, Netherlands

The $700 Billion they require (this week), is merely a drop in the ocean compared to amount of bets involved, in the house of cards, otherwise know as the derivatives market.

Last week alone, an average of $188 Billion per day was pumped into the failing banking system around the World.

Andrew, Haworth, England

As the US does NOT have this money in the first place, and NO other country is now willing to LEND them any more , the only thing left for them to do is PRINT IT, 'IN EFFECT CREATE IT OUT OF FRESH AIR'.

All this 'FIAT' money will do is devalue the currency already in circulation,

INFLATION

Andrew, Haworth, England

$500bn instead of $700bn? In for a pennie in for pound. You don't treat just half of a tumour, you treat it all.

R, London,