Bank Crises and Bankers' Renumeration Part 2

My wife just asked me why is it that some US politicians are billing the latest financial crisis as being the worst since the Great Depression. That sets me thinking...

Does the current situation even warrant a comparison with the Great Depression? Lets picture this scenario:

Great Depression: Tens of thousands of unemployed queueing for jobs every morning at factories, only a handful got picked for the day's work, the rest go home and come back next day for the lottery.

Current situation: I see tens of thousands still with their jobs. Many more voluntarily out of jobs.

I just need to illustrate the above scenario to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the current situation is nowhere near the Great Depression.

So, why are McCains and Obamas and soon to be ex-president Bush's and company painting such a stark economic picture with the Great Depression as the backdrop?

Answer is very simple my friend.

Lets assume I am a presidential candidate, and you are my supporter. You are a billionaire, and you contribute millions of dollars to my presidential campaign. I need your connections and money to fund my campaign, so I have a higher chance of securing the world's most powerful vocation.

But now, you are losing hundreds of millions in shares and what-have-yous. lets say you have USD1billion worth of shares, which are only worth USD500million on paper now, due to the current economic crisis. Obviously you are not pleased. So you suggest to me, why not scare the public with the spectre of a looming Great Depression, so that the public will consent to me using the public's money to bail you out. So that, having used the public's money to bailout, your current USD500million will once again surge up to USD1billion, or possibly even more.

In this way, you have your money, and I, with your support, secures the world's most powerful vocation, and the public, seeing that I have successfully averted the second Great Depression, will adore me no less.

Perfect. Win-win-win.