Sawz:

How about you let it go, and call me out on a more serious misstatement that the tense and state of language? What do you think this is, a grammar contest?

TARP was necessary, according to Paulson and Bush, because the economy was collapsing.

If you think there was no collapse, survey the thousands who lost their homes, their jobs, or both because of your non-collapse.

Sure, it could have collapsed further.

A