the problem was brought about by a lot of very bright

[Fresh_Start]

people who believed their own brilliance

There was less criminality and more stupidity underlying this disaster than you'd think

[natrat]

1. maybe but greed is still a sin

[Fresh_Start]

3. most of the people weren't greedy

just doing their jobs and horribly mistaken

[leftofthedial]

2. amorality

hubris

short attention spans

[Fresh_Start]

4. hubris

lots and lots of hubris

[KatyaR]

5. There's an easy answer--

"Greed is Good."

Those three words--that's what did it. Easy money for everybody, and nobody watching out for the little guy.

[Fresh_Start]

6. I know financial modeling people

most of them are into the mathematical model itself
money is less of a motivator than you'd think
now the people who used the models....they operated on greed since they believed that the models were accurate and wildly profitable