Readers Respond: What Were the Top Economic Events of the Past Decade?

Responses: 4

By Kimberly Amadeo, About.com Guide

I'm sure I missed some important economic events. What were they? What impacted you the most? What Do You Think?

George W. Bush added trillions of dollars to our debt and gave us those darned tax cuts! Obama has raised debt too. The national debt is our main economic disaster waiting to happen by 2020! Interest on the debt by then is expected to be over $800 billion dollars per year. 8/10ths of a trillion.
—Guest Marty Boone

TWO ONLY. Housing from Greenspan. 1% interest + doubled money supply told 20 Big Banks "come and get it plenty free here" 2000 Deregulation of Derivatives formed Casino Derivative. $$$$$$ Easy. Quick.Big. Ric investors chose it over investing in stock tthat built industry and jobs. 8 of Bush and 31,000 net new jobs per month or Worst since Hoover. All a repeat of Coolidge and 1920s clarence swinney olduglymeanhonest political historian madmadmad at Inequality in America
—Guest CLARENCE SWINNEY

The Dow dropped from a high of $14,164.53 on 10/9/07 to a low of $6,547.05 on 3/9/09. It lost over half its value in less than two years.
—Guest Dan

Enron was important for so many reasons. It changed the utility industry by creating competition. It forever raised prices in California by contributing to collusion among power companies. It was an early example of how a company could create an empire, and lose it, based on derivatives. If only we had instituted regulations then! Finally, and most importantly, many people lost their retirement by investing in a company that plain, flat-out lied - to their investors and to their employees.
—Cre8iveForce