[raganwald]

If the politicians are responsible, that doesn’t mean Wall Street isn’t also responsible. Blame is a non-zero-sum concept. If I lobby for the right to dump toxic waste in a river, do we really say “lobbying is legal, blame the politicians for the toxic waste?” No, we ought to blame me for dumping toxic waste whether it’s legal or not, and blame me again for making it legal by lobbying.

Summary: Yes, it’s great to find fault with the political system, but that doesn’t absolve Wall Street or anybody else of the obligation to act ethically. In fact, the definition of ethics is pretty much Doing the right thing when not compelled to do so by consequences, legal or otherwise.