Hate to say it but all the people who went bankrupt aren't 'victims', they weren't preyed upon by some malevolent financial system.
They made poor financial decisions, using the equity on their home to buy ipods, daily $5 starbucks, and massive plasma televisions. The people who weathered the crash were people who invested wisely, lived within their means, and saved money.
I'll give you an example using the case of my sister:
Before the crash, my sister sold her house to buy a more expensive one in a nicer area. My dad, well aware of the housing bubble, told her to sell her house for a large profit and live in an apartment or rental for a while. My sister bought the house, got a mortgage, bought a boat, dumped money into improving the house, went to Hawaii, and saved almost no money. Then the market crashed and they lost everything.
The purchase of the house was an emotional decision driven my affluenza, and a failure to recognize what a serious financial issue it is to take a high interest-rate loan to finance a house. For decades prior it was almost always a sound financial decision given the appreciation of home value, and Americans are fucking obsessed with owning a home, so many didn't give it a second thought.
Instead of taking responsibility for their decisions, like adults, many blamed the financial system. I hardly believe they deserve a bailout.
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