With regard to "I am not "damning the consequences". The consequences are unavoidable." This is not a zero-sum game within the US. Some courses of action have

With regard to "I am not "damning the consequences". The consequences are unavoidable." This is not a zero-sum game within the US. Some courses of action have much larger consequences overall than others, and the one you are advocating seems likely to have had a relatively high overall cost to the system of the economy compared to the one the govt. chose, at least in the short term. The government has been trying to keep the ship sailing as smoothly as possible, as is their general responsibility, despite the unsavory nature of bailing out some of those responsible. I believe that was viewed as a necessary evil.