#1 Financial crisis of 2008 avoidable, says US inquiry
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:22 am
BBC
[quote]Regulators, politicians and bankers were to blame for the 2008 US financial meltdown, a report has claimed.
The US Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, tasked with establishing the causes of the crisis, said it was "avoidable".
Its report highlighted excessive risk-taking by banks and neglect by financial regulators.
Only the six Democrat members of the 10-strong commission, set up in May 2009, endorsed the report's findings.
"The crisis was the result of human action and inaction, not of Mother Nature or models gone haywire," the report said.
"The captains of finance and the public stewards of our financial system ignored warnings and failed to question, understand and manage evolving risks within a system essential to the well-being of the American public.
"Theirs was a big miss, not a stumble."
Ethical breaches
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“Start Quote
The greatest tragedy would be to accept the refrain that no one could have seen this coming and thus nothing could have been doneâ€
[quote]Regulators, politicians and bankers were to blame for the 2008 US financial meltdown, a report has claimed.
The US Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, tasked with establishing the causes of the crisis, said it was "avoidable".
Its report highlighted excessive risk-taking by banks and neglect by financial regulators.
Only the six Democrat members of the 10-strong commission, set up in May 2009, endorsed the report's findings.
"The crisis was the result of human action and inaction, not of Mother Nature or models gone haywire," the report said.
"The captains of finance and the public stewards of our financial system ignored warnings and failed to question, understand and manage evolving risks within a system essential to the well-being of the American public.
"Theirs was a big miss, not a stumble."
Ethical breaches
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
The greatest tragedy would be to accept the refrain that no one could have seen this coming and thus nothing could have been doneâ€