I think it's a mistake to attribute these crimes to this investment banking connection alone. There are all kinds of interests that have and will continue to benefit from that bubble. Didn't the heady economy make it easier to get rid of welfare? Didn't a lot of tech innovation and infrastucture get funded by investor dollars? Those assets are still there and many are still valuable, if not now, in the near future(like fiber optic networks). I'm sure there are other instances where the losing investor is balanced by someone who gains. I know some of this is just how Capitalism works but shouldn't people wonder about other possibilities? Can't a bubble be planned?