Here is a spot-on article from Michael Lewis, author of "Liar's Poker" and "Moneyball," which explains the root cause of the current financial mess.

The Obama victory is the final nail in the coffin of the age of corpulence. Fat people with fat cars and fat McMansions due to fat paychecks based on a fake economy....the age of corpulence. From here on out we're due for a reality check. Starting with the financial system, we'll modernize the regulatory framework so that things like credit default swaps don't slip by under the radar and the American taxpayer has to foot the bill when the whole thing comes crashing down, a.k.a. "de-leveraging." Call it the "fat flush plan" if you will.

Vindication, victory! First drink in two months, by the way.