If there was any kind of "escape clause" in these contracts, I am sure the government would do what ever it could to find them, as the public anger over this is not exactly something they wanted. The bonuses are obligated by contract, and simply refusing to pay them would result in lawsuits that the government would never win and it would end up costing even more money.

The option of letting AIG fail was open to two administrations, Republican and Democrat, apparently, they are all dumb idiots, and the true geniuses are to be found at some Mercedes car forum, no wonder the country is in such a mess - if only they had known of this place.