Financial crisis philosophy

Somewhere, I don't know where exactly on the internet (but it had a .com ending), I noticed a debate on „the advantages of the crisis“. It is always necessary to look at things in an original way, said a participant in the debate. As an example, he cites the case of the attack on Pearl Harbour: It took the United States out of its „splendid isolation“ and hurled it into the war. What would we Europeans have done without the participation of America? So let's give it a go: What are the advantages of the crisis?

Firstly: Like in the case of Pearl Harbour, the crisis brought the world together. A crisis always brings different groups together. It has been said for a long time now that it's a pity that Europe does not have a bigger common enemy (Europeans have led all wars amongst themselves; from the outside, the only attack in modern history came from the Ottoman Empire). It is much easier to integrate when you are being threatened from outside because you suddenly have reason to come together. The advantage of the financial crisis is that it is impacting nearly all of Western civilization – it is forcing all of us, therefore, to join forces against a common enemy. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring wasn't formed because its members wanted to take a stroll but because they had to solve a common problem. An elf became friends with a dwarf at a time of trouble. Only when things were peaceful could they afford the luxury of not getting along. When they had to…