Getting his caste off the hook both financially and in terms of accountability was probably virtually impossible from the get-go. The fact that he tried to do something supremely difficult and failed does not necessarily indicate incompetence.
Of course, the whole thing was attempted with a cavalier disregard for the general welfare. The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
Kind of like Hoover in 29-32. I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
But when real crisis rolls around, the old narratives get trashed. To be replace by--what? It's not yet happened. It will. Capitalism searches out the darkest corners of human potential, and mainlines them.
So balance sheets will go on carrying unpriceable assets. How Paulson can tell us the risk of systemic collapse is taken care of, is perhaps a question for lie-detector treatment.
Can.Down.Road