The Debt Generation

Book excerpt: Was there really no alternative to bailing out the banks? Is it right that we should now all have to suffer such deep cuts in jobs and services to pay for it? From the very beginning of the crisis, acclaimed science documentary-maker and BBC presenter, David Malone, believed dissenting opinions and debate had been closed down. Not believing what he was being told he began to question the official story. Passionate, angry, funny and full of insight, The Debt Generation is both a compelling account of the crisis as it happened and a devastating critique of the financial system and of our political leaders who bowed down to it. Pulling no punches, and written with an engaging, direct clarity, the book should be essential reading for all those wanting a different understanding of the times in which we are living. From the Debt Generation: 'It was said that in the Great Depression that the market was sacrificed to save the country. Today we risk sacrificing the country to save the market.' 'It's their version of the Titanic rescue. Bankers first, women and children left to drown.' 'So go ahead, cut interest rates.It's a bit like the pilot in a crashing plane turning up the air conditioning. Feeling comfy? Oh good.' 'The bubble and the reputation of the 'smartest men in the room' were, in reality, a function of leverage not brains. Given enough leverage a chimp can make money, and many did.'