We are all part of Northern Rock

I had no idea, until today, that I was an investor in Northern Rock and therefore liable for its risk.  Apparently, I am however.  You see, thanks to their stupidity and over "generous" mortgage lending their books have gone a little bit unbalanced.  Now, if my books were unbalanced and I had failed to keep up my re-mortgage payments with Northern Rock they would, rightly, have got a little upset.  As it happens they have been the less than frugal ones and now are facing serious financial turmoil.  At least they would if it wasn’t for the unspoken, unsigned, unheard of contract that we, the taxpayer, apparently have with Northern Rock.  That's right, if they cock up their finances it is down to the tax payer to chip in and help them out apparently.  Tell me this, why are the taxpayers paying out £50m to bail out a company before the shareholders have to?  They invested, they stood to make money, and they now stand to lose it.  It has nothing to do with me.  Whatever the outcome, it seems like we all might just have to pay. Welcome to Brown economics.