This is a serious, non-polemical look.

Finally, somebody has gone ahead and taken the American experience and the followup studies that have been done and written a short column that doesn't stop at the point of moral outrage or consternation or reaction.
I understand the moral outrage in Germany and Ireland where they are learning something new.  But the press in the United States should be better informed by now.

"Looking at what the National Review Board viewed as the root causes of the crisis in this country may shed light on what happened in Ireland and Germany and elsewhere. On the whole, the board's analysis is about the most accurate and insightful that we have about the American situation. Of course, these are presented by the board as reasons, not excuses. There are no excuses for these crimes."  Take a look.