From time to time in the U.S., people criticize TARP for bailing out the banks. This is stupid. Plain and simple. TARP stopped the Great Recession from becoming the Great Depression II. Not only that, it made money: TARP Bank Programs Turn Profit After Three Financial Institutions Repay $7.4 Billion.
People have all sorts of theoretical reasons for not liking TARP. The conclusion they come to is wrong. TARP delivered.
Smart People I Know 
I disagree with your comments. I think there’s a very valid reason for people to have a bitter taste in their mouth about the TARF programs. Specially those struggling to make meets end without no one to ever come to their rescue. It somehow contradicts the most basic capitalism pillar where the competent remain and the incompetent die. This is what the American capitalism promotes in its essence. TARF comes to the rescue of the incompetent and powerful, just because they are powerful. It comes to prove that the US wild capitalism economic model which has has created wars, sponsored dictators, and manipulated the world is not consistent or fair like we are forced to believe.
Well, I respect your disagreement, but I would argue that you are overly critical of TARP. First off, alot of banks that were incompetent died. Alot. Either died like Lehmann’s or were swallowed up by those like Wells Fargo. TARP was meant to stabilize the U.S. financial system, not rescue the banks (though it did that). We all have a grave dependency on the health of the financial sector, and if the problems with it become too severe, we all suffer. (Ask the people of Ireland in particular). I would say that the banks need much stronger straight jackets than they have now, even with Dodd-Frank in the U.S. I also think that banks should have experienced some form of cram down, but that didn’t happen.
TARP was not meant to be the only piece in place to restructure the U.S. economy. Like I mention, Dodd-Frank was another. And bailouts to key industrial sectors (e.g. the automobile industry) a third. The stimulus in general, extension of unemployment insurance benefits…all those were meant to revive the U.S. economy and help everyone, not just the banks. However successfully it has been is debatable for sure. In that context, TARP did it’s job, I think.