AIG almost had me with their argument that they were legally obligated to pay the bonuses. Then I got to this part.

"We cannot attract and retain the best and the brightest talent to lead and staff the A.I.G. businesses — which are now being operated principally on behalf of American taxpayers — if employees believe their compensation is subject to continued and arbitrary adjustment by the U.S. Treasury,” [Edward M. Liddy, the government-appointed chairman of A.I.G.] wrote Mr. Geithner on Saturday.

Yeah, they've been freakin' brilliant so far. When it came to bailing out car companies, the talk was about all the concessions union workers were going to have to make; they absolutely had to renegotiate their contracts. When it comes to Wall St. execs, they get every dollar they were promised -- no renegotiation is possible.

What exactly is the big freakin' difference between these two groups of employees?

The big difference is apparently how far AIG execs are up legislators asses!

Rome is burning.

Suppose this si what they really mena by "higher education".

The difference is that the Auto Workers actually work for a living. The AIG execs just take up space, and know people.