Where will the bailout madness end?

The timeline of bailout events this year has been very interesting (in Chinese-curse kinda way):

March, 2008 US Government offers $29 billion of credit in the form of guarantees for the toxic mortgage-backed debt held on the books of Bear Stearns. The credit was made available as part of a deal where JPMorgan Chase acquired its smaller rival. US Federal Reserve also extends the availability of cheap financing to investment banks as well as commercial banks

September 6, 2008 The US Government takes control of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Promises to inject up to $100billion into each

September 7, 2008 Silver State becomes eleventh US bank to collapse. The lender had $1.7 billion of deposits

September 14, 2008 Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy protection. It controlled $600 billion of assets

September 16, 2008 US Government nationalizes AIG. We (yes we... it's government of the people, for the people and by the people, right?) lends the insurer $85 billion for two years, during which time it is expected to break itself up, raise new capital and pay back the American taxpayer

September 16 - 30, 2008 Washington debates the bailout plan.

October 4th, 2008 House voted 263 to 171 to pass the $700 billion bailout bill, and President Bush signs it into law shortly thereafter.

And now...

November 12, 2008 US Automakers ask for (another) $25 Billion "loan" as part of the bailout money. They passed a $25 Billion loan earlier in the year, which is intended to fix up facilities, and produce more fuel efficient vehicles (Can you say... "Goodbye Hummer" ?)

Seriously. Isn't this a Democratic, free-market economy? Why are my tax dollars helping to prop up companies that drove themselves into the ground with either:

a) Poor financial oversight (Banks)

b) Greedy executives, willing to lend money to less-than-stellar risks in order to turn a higher profit.

c) American car companies apparently unable to create a low-cost, quality product to compete with Japanese imports. Unions? Maybe. Laziness? Certainly.

So, stop the bailout madness! Tell your congresspeople to not support additional bailouts. Don't support propped-up banks.