Do you think it will make a difference in the stock market if Mark to Market is lifted? What about a Short Ban?

Changing the mark to market to a mark to reasonable value of the underlying asset would have limited the mortgage problem to it's real level. That and rescinding Sarbanes-Oxley. It should still be changed but the damage is done.

A short ban would be ridiculous. How about a long ban? Same thing on the up tick rule. How about a down tick rule? A free market has to be free to move to reflect perceived value. The only thing that’s defensible is a daily limit, but that just delays, and pretty much insures, further move the next day. There are some limits that are triggered upon huge market moves. that is enough.

As a case in point, would Bank of America really be worth more than a buck if a short ban had kept it at 5, 10, or 20? Not.