shtsqsh -- dubya&co's entire regime of colossal, systematic and willful, regulatory failure was a very large, a 'but for' critical path, at least arguably the decisive, factor -- sensible regulation is necessary, essential, and compliance must be effectively enforced -- doesn't address, let alone answer, all that revolves around money/wealth and/as power, but is a vital baseline to prevent sheer massive, systematic fraud, which is exactly what happened under and with the full blessing of dubya&co, from just blowing things up, as it did in that stretch's glorious grand finale