I just reread WS and recommend others should pronto. In light of the bankruptcy bill passing, what struck me was the section on the New York City fiscal crisis of 1975. (pp. 295-297) From page 297: "Behind a "fiscal crisis" lurked an entire class agenda, one that has been quite successfully prosecuted in subsequent crises for the next two decades. But since these are fought on the bankers' terrain, using their language, they instantly win the political advantage, as nonbankers retreat in confusion, despair, or boredom in the face of all those damn numbers." But instead of the unions, you have debtors (the lower classes). (Also, perhaps in this case, as has been suggested, the banks are just afraid of a potential tidal wave of bankruptcies that would put them out of business.)
The highly readable section on the S&L scandals mentions some familiar names. Shrub's brother Neil "helped drive an S&L into the ground, Denver's Silverado." And before he was the oracle/chairman of the Fed, "Greenspan praised thrift-killer Charles Keating's "seasoned and expert" management team for rescuing a "badly burdened" thrift through "sound and profitable" investments. Every word of this was untrue."
Peter