Here's how George Bailey would handle the current credit crisis. For your viewing pleasure, the bank run from It's a Wonderful Life ...
The Bedford Falls Bank represents Wall Street. They've made bad investment and now they're panicking. The Bailey Bros. Building and Loan represents all the innocent and honest businesses that are being hurt by this crisis. Old Man Potter is like Paulson/Bush/Congress--ready to take over and buy out the little people at 50 cents on the dollar. The nervous townspeople are us. We never learn, do we? Potter is taking the long view. When the panic blows over, he'll hold all the cards, and everyone else will be much poorer.
And George Bailey represents ... well, I guess people like him only exist in the movies.
