I was just kidding re: Berliners. Concerning the so-called financial crisis: I remember it all started with sub-prime real estate credits in the US, the reason

I was just kidding re: Berliners. Concerning the so-called financial crisis: I remember it all started with sub-prime real estate credits in the US, the reason for their existence being politically motivated ("everyone should be able to afford housing" or, less favorable, "we're going to buy our electorate by keeping interest rates low")