Jack Welch appeals for calm over AIG bonuses - good luck!

Former General Electric Co. (GE) Chief Executive Jack Welch, one of the most respected voices in American business, believes the American people should move beyond their outrage surrounding the bonuses paid to some American International Group Inc. (AIG) executives. Chances are that his advice will be ignored.

The outrage over the $165 million in bonuses to 400 employees in its Financial Products Division is still raw. Many Americans are having trouble paying their bills are sick of spending tens of billions of dollars propping up mismanaged institutions. They can't understand why anyone should get a bonus who worked at a company that needed to be rescued by taxpayers at a costs of $173 billion over the past six months. Politicians are sensitive to this new realities and are responding.