How did we end up with an economy being dictated by a select group of sheep in London, New York and Tokyo?
Someone panics in New York which causes the chaps in Japan to start panicking, London looks at Japan and New York, starts to feel that they are being left out and so start to panic as well. This goes on for several days until nobody can remember what they are all panicking about.
Everyone admits they are panicking and everybody agrees that they shouldn't be panicking but it is a well known fact that panicking is even harder to give up than heroin. Nobody knows when these people will stop panicking. Meanwhile the panic created by the panicking men in London, New York and Tokyo causes more panic.
What a fantastic system.