Could a small group of wealthy individuals cause an international financial crisis through speculation and market manipulation, and then profit hugely from the disruption? Is something similar happening in America, something neither Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson nor President George W. Bush alluded to in their calls for strong action to bail out America’s financial institutions?

If individuals are behind our current financial crisis, who are they? Does the Bush administration’s $700 billion bailout play into their hands and increase their profits?