Hamilton was a colorful character, born out of wedlock, raised in the West Indies, and captain of an artillery company in America’s revolutionary war. More to the point, as George Washington’s Treasury secretary, he crafted the bargain that successfully rationalized the US states’ debts.
当然，经济学家关于大萧条的著作不是一个短短的暑期读得完的。欧洲领导人也可以换换脑子，读一读罗恩·切恩诺（Ron Chernow）的亚历山大·汉密尔顿传。汉密尔顿是个多彩的人物，私生子出身，张于西印度群岛，在美国独立战争期间担任炮兵连长。更重要的是，他是华盛顿的财政部长，正是他精心安排的讨价还价成功地化解了美国州债务问题。