America's economic meltdowns

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-larson4-2009jan04,0,2231879.story?track=rss

This is an interesting article on the history of previous economic meltdowns.
As it said:
"Our ancestors first interpreted panics as punishment for licentiousness. But experience showed that virtuous men and women suffered the most distress. What kind of an economic system rewarded the crooks and ruined the folks who toiled that others may eat?"