Compare and contrast the financial situation(s) described in the 80s with what's happened over the last 10 years or so, including our "Great Recession." For example, a couple of the the big financial scandals at the time was Insider Trading and Leveraged Buyouts, today it's Ponzi Schemes and Betting on the Bubble (housing, etc). Also, then credit card usage was on the rise, today it's rampant and even seen as necessary (in the 80s, $12,000 sent a family into bankruptcy, that might be considered a low amount today).