tmarket is the voice of reason. It IS the accumulation of bad laws that, in the end, do make the difference. Some are malicious, some innocent mistakes, and some poorly thought-out and poorly worded. All bad, nevertheless. Anyone serving in the House or Senate as long as Frank and Dodd have is bound to have been behind some bad laws, but it is utter nonsense to think they were responsible, except in very peripheral roles, for the housing bubble and subsequent troubles. There was nothing whatsoever in the directives that go back to the Carter era seeking to level the playing field with regard to credit access that could be misconstrued to sanction or condone liar loans and the other abuses that took place many years later. If you want to blame someone, and it is a little late for that, perhaps you should consider those directly involved, such as the chief mortgage regulator, who as it turns out, did not believe in regulation.
We would do well to learn from mistakes and correct bad laws. There are those trying to do just that. They could use support and encouragement, not absurd accusations.