If all of this is not enough to propel Americans into the streets in mass protests, perhaps the history of how the coddled Citigroup handles the money of its in

If all of this is not enough to propel Americans into the streets in mass protests, perhaps the history of how the coddled Citigroup handles the money of its investors and shareholders will stir the pot. The root of this problem is that banks -- especially large ones -- are rewarded for short-term gains made when "gambling with other people's money", while passing the fallout of risk and long-term losses on to the industry as a whole (and thus onto taxpayers). Entities that profit from turnover have an incentive to create hype, fear, and volatility -- anything that increases transaction volume. (Every time a bank writes a new loan, they get to tack on origination fees, and the associated broker gets a cut. Every time a house is bought or sold, realtors and their brokers get a cut) Some economists should do a more in-depth study on the Principal-Agent problem in the broker-managed financial derivatives markets.