Lies and duplicity by governments on economic or finacial matters are nothing new.

I don’t know if I’ve got the facts exactly right, but didn’t two (SEC and FHA?) U.S. gov’t entities lie about the viability of mortgage-based securities (which are now known as toxic assets)? It’s amazing that what would send Bernie Maddoff or Bernie Ebbers (WorldCom) to jail is considered business-as-usual for governments.

Incidentally, even Ben Franklin lied about gov’t finances: during the revolution he had it proclaimed that American paper currency was backed by $2 million is Spanish silver dollars. It was a total falsehood, but the ruse lasted more than halfway through the war before the value of the paper money began to fall dramatically. Then we were rescued by the French. I forgive Ben under his circumstances, though. Today’s politicians are the white-collar criminals that Mark Twain said they are.