[slg]

>Were the 2008 bank bailouts done because it was the morally right thing to do or because they felt like it was important to secure the value of the economy

Both. It was done to preserve the value of the overall economy. That impacts everyone at every level of society and therefore it was the morally right thing to do. You can argue that the specific action taken wasn't the most effective approach, but the goals were noble in 2008. The goal here is that these rich people don't want to lose their investments.