Book excerpt: This book is an honest attempt to answer the questions of those who want to know what happened. In the view of the author, the catastrophic events of 2008 and the continued economic decay of the United States, are the culmination of a number of policies and trends. These trends and policies, carried out by both the government and the private sector, are not isolated from global events. US foreign policies, specifically those related to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East region, are directly linked to continuous economic decline and the 2008 financial crash. The key players who are responsible for the crisis have not limited their malfeasance to US soil.