[BillyJack]

I'm beginning to wonder the same thing. Are greed and arrogance such strong emotions that they would force people to lie, cheat, and deceive to the exent of weakening the U.S. financial system? Were the leaders of these companies so arrogant to think that they could get away with these financial machinations and that the house of cards would never fall?



Endeavor wrote:

"But, after I read through the thing, I'm left wondering, given the banks' other money-lending policies,if the whole darn lot of them weren't in cahoots on the whole thing - they were willingly running their companies into the ground solely because of their own personal greed (just like the Enron execs). Is that the correct read?"

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Greed = money

Greed + connections + no controlling legal authority = more money

more money + more greed + better connections + no controls = Power

Power + greed + more money + collusion = Uncontrolled Power

POWER and ENTITLEMENT at any cost!

[aristeides]

Were the leaders of these companies so arrogant to think that they could get away with these financial machinations and that the house of cards would never fall?

You've got to be arrogant to get to the positions these guys have.

[brat]

"Are greed and arrogance such strong emotions that they would force people to lie, cheat, and deceive to the exent of weakening the U.S. financial system?"

yes