If you look at all of the U.S.-based operations of American International Group (AIG) -- the insurance and annuities company that our government has been compelled to take over and bail out with more than $100 billion of our money -- it's hard to see how the company got into trouble. Within the United States, AIG consisted largely of regulated insurance companies, subject to the conscientious oversight of 50 state insurance commissioners. How could such a company go wrong?




In September, 2009 Atlantic Monthly named 
