It’s Time To Bust Up the Big Banks  Americans have a healthy
respect for free market competition and are resistant to
government interference — even when they don’t like what the
market is up to. For example, 69 percent of Americans believe
that large corporate executives are overpaid, but only 17
percent want the government to regulate their pay.  In that
context, it’s remarkable that 50 percent of voters nationwide
favor a plan to break up our nation’s megabanks. Just 23 percent
are opposed.  There are more than 5,000 banks in the United
States today, but 12 of them control 69 percent of the banking
industry’s total assets.  Most Americans want these megabanks
treated like any other. If a large bank reaches the point where
it can no longer meet its obligations, just 25 percent support a
bailout to keep it in business. But federal policy is just the
opposite. The view from Washington, D.C., and Wall Street is
that these firms must be propped up at all costs because their
collapse would hurt the overall econo