Nationalize the damn banks!

A couple of days ago Paul Krugman wrote in his New Times OpEd piece that no one wanted to consider what seemed like the obvious course to correct the economy's money problems: nationalizing the banks.  We should nationalize any institution that we think should be bailed out, especially the banks.  This is an extension on my original position that the Federal Reserve BANK (that four letter word that is always omitted) lend money directly.

Otherwise what you have is trickle down economics on a massive scale: providing private banks with money and hoping that they do what you want them to do with the money.  Just do it!  Treat the banks like loan sharks, pests that you tolerate but do not need.