My husband called me from work two mornings ago to let me know that AIG, the parent company who acquired the Texas company, VALIC, which holds one of my 403B accounts was tanking in a rather spectacular way.

A quick online asset check revealed that I still have money for the time being and another google search partially assured me that my particular type of account would survive a bankruptcy and that VALIC itself is considered to be one of AIG’s few real assets.

Still, it makes me wonder about my homeland and the worship of the unregulated free market, which seems in dire need of actual oversight and perhaps isn’t as “free” as the players at the top have thought it to be (we bottom feeders have always known there isn’t any such thing as “free”).

It also made me wonder how a person could pull the lever for McCain in five or so weeks. Perhaps its time Americans stopped voting their values and worrying about how they are going to clothe, feed and house themselves and just who – if anyone – is going to be looking out after them when they are too old or sick to do so for themselves.

I think Al Jolson may have sung the original but here is Tom Waits for those Wall Street types (and the people who they screwed in their wake).

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

Gorney, Harburg

They used to tell me
I was building a dream.
And so I followed the mob
When there was earth to plow
Or guns to bear
I was always there
Right on the job.
They used to tell me
I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead.
Why should I be standing in line
Just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad
I made it run
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad
Now it’s done
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower up to the sun
Brick and rivet and lime.
Once I built a tower,
Now it’s done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits
Gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dee dum.
Half a million boots went sloggin’ through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say don’t you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Why don’t you remember?
I’m your pal.
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits,
Ah, gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dee dum!
Half a million boots went sloggin’ through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Oh, say don’t you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Say, don’t you remember?
I’m your pal.
Buddy, can you spare a dime?