Reflection, Great Depression discussion in Section

I found the discussion about the great depression in section this week very interesting. I had recently been thinking about the similarities between that time in American history and the crisis we are experiencing now, and the effects on average Americans in both situations.
During the Great Depression, more Americans were faced with unemployment, and like we said there was a general sense of "shame" associated with hardship. Today, our crisis stems from derivative securities based off of mortgages, that is the banking system. The situation now is substantially more complex than a simple "run on the banks" as experienced in 29'. Today, with the global interconnectedness of our financial system, an implosion of complex securities has rippled across the globe. For the average American, it is difficult to fully understand the situation that has brought this sever recession about.

There also is a completely different outlook on the situation today. To me, it seems as if there is almost a sense of entitlement for help, rather than shame. Regardless of the cause, a recovery will require Americans to come together and allow the economy to begin to repair itself. That being said, perhaps a bit of a sense of shame wouldn't be bad for us right now. It is also very interesting to hear varying opinions on this crisis, as well as the course we should take to attempt to correct it. While we can only look forward from here, it is my hope that we learned something from this time, and as we proceed forward we will act more cautiously knowing how bad things really can get.