Uh, Linda - where were you in 2009 - when the meltdown occurred ?
Derivatives ARE THE PROBLEM.
Derivatives are what got the 'mortgage industry' and 'insurance (read mafia numbers racket) business' in such HUGE TROUBLE.
Does AIG ring a bell ?
Fannie Mae ? Freddie Mac ? ALL the 'big boys' that had mortgages 'derivatived' and 'wrappered' to freakin' death.
DERIVATIVES are NOT a 'good thing' - they SPREAD RISK - absolutely, by multiplying it ASTRONOMICALLY and SPREADING THAT RISK OF COMPLETE AND TOTAL COLLAPSE to the ENTIRE 'monetary' system.
No ifs, ands, or butts (sic), about it.
It is a NUMBERS RACKET that make the mafiosi blush at their own piddling efforts in the arena.
UPDATED: Just read Due's followup post also - we are pretty much on the same page .... BUT, I would state point blank that ALL the derivatives are 'risk multipliers' and bad overall for the economy. Same as so-called 'insurance' - it doesn't protect from a damn thing, and doesn't return it's investment. The futures/options markets are RIFE with unbelievable amounts of fraud and manipulation. That's a fact.