What happened with the financial sector and the negative impact on our economy is very confusing and certainly not exciting to many.  It is probably confusing by design.  The rhetoric coming from politicians isn't helping either.  They frame the issue as if it is a simple matter of blaming certain groups without really explaining the logic behind it.  Politics is mostly a matter of creating a world of black and white, good vs bad, simple answers to complicated problems.  As a result, we (the public) are often content to disengage, take sides, and not truly understand the issues that impact our lives.

This is a complicated one.  A couple resources I have run across have explained some of the issue in a way that makes sense. 

A really interesting interview with authors explaining the current banking fiasco:

"Moyers and economists James Kwak and Simon Johnson wonder whether the financial powers are more profitable, and more resistant to regulation than ever.

How did Big Finance grow so powerful that its hijinks nearly brought down the global economy – and what hope is there for real reform with Washington politicians on Wall Street's payroll? Bill Moyers talks with authors Simon Johnson and James Kwak, two of the nation's most respected economic experts and authors of the new book 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown......"

http://www.truthout.org/bill-moyers-james-kwak-and-simon-johnson-banks-are-oligarchy58824

This American Life broadcast a terrific program explaining what happened and why.  The program is called "Inside Job"