Economist Paul Krugman today chastises just about everyone involved in the bailout meltdown this week:
[T]he grown-up thing is to do something to rescue the financial system. The big question is, are there any grown-ups around — and will they be able to take charge?
...
[T]here do seem to be some adults in Congress, ready to do something to help us get through this crisis. But the adults are not yet in charge.
On a related note, I commend to everyone Frederick Allen's Only Yesterday, published in 1932. It's a quick read, and if you lived through the last 10 years, it will seem eerily familiar. (Someone at UVA has put the entire book online, as it may now be in the public domain.)