Financial Crisis a Scam by the Investment Banks?

Wouldn't surprise me at all, particularly given Paulson's connections:

"I suspect that part of what we're seeing in the freezing up of lending markets is strategic behavior on the part of big financial players who stand to benefit from the bailout," said David K. Levine, an economist at Washington University in St. Louis, who studies liquidity constraints and game theory.

I also wonder if the whole deal is also a secret ploy by Bush to screw over McCain-- I'm a bit suspicious the way Bush has embraced this scheme that will so obviously put McCain in such a difficult position.

UPDATE: Here's an alternative view-- that things are much worse than they are letting on.