Publisher's Synopsis
Did Wall Street cause the mess we are in? Should Washington place stronger regulations on the entire financial industry? Can we lower unemployment rates by controlling the free market? The answer is no. Not only is free market capitalism good for the economy, says industry expert John Allison, it is our only hope for recovery. As the nation's longest-serving CEO of one of the top twenty-five financial institutions, Allison has had a unique inside view of the events leading up to the financial crisis. He has seen the direct effect of government incentives on the real estate market. He has seen how government regulations only make matters worse. Now in this controversial wake-up call of a book, he has given us a solution. The Financial Crisis and the Free Market Cure reveals - why regulation is bad for the market--and for the world; - what we can do to promote a healthy free market; - how we can help end unemployment in America; - the truth about TARP and the bailouts; - how Washington can help Wall Street build a better future for everyone. With shrewd insight, alarming insider details, and practical advice for today's leaders, this electrifying analysis is nothing less than a call to arms for a nation on the brink. You'll learn how government incentives helped blow up the real estate bubble to unsustainable proportions, how financial tools such as derivatives have been wrongly blamed for the crash, and how Congress fails to understand it should not try to control the market--and then completely mismanages it when it tries. In the end, you'll understand why it's so important to put the "free" back into free market. It's time for America to accept the truth: the government can't fix the economy because the government wrecked the economy. This book gives us the tools, the inspiration--and the cure.
