cite, please, on who thought what was 'risky'. I am definitely under the impression that the ratings agencies stamping everything A-OK without really looking at it (possibly deliberately) was a big part of the problem. And if you're talking about putting the dodgy meat in in the first place, well, housing prices always go up, right? (I'm down with not illegal, just really stupid - if you'll remember my first comment, I only think that the stupidity *should* have been illegal, not that it was.)