I'm not sure there is an answer about banks. The Bank of North America didn't pave the way for prosperity.

The government-chartered Bank of the United States cost citizens about 42% of their worth before its charter was cancelled. The Second Bank of the United States fared no better. And don't forget the Continental and the original greenback ...

But lo! after all those experiments, we got the conspiracy of 1910. Then when it came to life on Dec 23,1913, its mandate was to stablize the economy; sounded like a good promise for those at the time who remembered the Panic of 1907. What sort of a scorecard should the Fed get after 95 years of creative manipulation?

Yo, taxpayer here.
You know, the one with the knife in his back.
The knife that the FED decided to give to the unregulated bank holding companies when they arrived at the window.
"Step right up. Here's a knife. Stick it in the back of the taxpayer. Don't worry about it. Give it a twist whenever you want that blood, er capital, to start flowing".
Taxpayer here, with the knife in his back that the private bankers have been twisting to whatever degree their greedy little hearts desired.
I have to admit that the "easing" of the twisting actually feels pretty good right now, but, until the knife is removed, and the bankers start playing with their own money, I'm afraid I am unable to jump for joy.
You know, with this knife still stuck where it is, and still twisting, and all.
Abolish the FED.
Keep the people's money for the people.
Establish the sovereign United States Central Bank.
Start issuing debt-free money.
Economic democracy.
See:

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/uploads/CreatingNewMoney.pdf

Let's get on with it.

Inflation is going to hit like a tidal wave soon, we are not done yet by a long shot.

Translation: private enterprise has sucked up all the Monopoly money available and will have completed its dismantling of the middle-class American Dream by the time Cheney & Bush are SUPPOSED to leave office.

Does this mean that investors are starting to wean a little bit, Ben? Or are they going to use the Fed to push the Dow up to 20000?