The Crash

FRONTLINE explores the global crisis that began as a real estate bust in Thailand and roared through the worldís economyófrom Bangkok to Jakarta to Moscow to Wall Street. On August 31, 1998, the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 512 points, wiping out stock market gains for the entire year. In the United States, small investors watched more than half a trillion dollars of their savings disappear. Fear spread that the global economy was falling apart. The program gathers some of the worldís leading financial analysts to unravel the reasons for the crash of 1998 and to predict whetheróand whenóit will happen again.

The web site will take a closer look at how the 1998 world financial crisis played out in one country; examine the most significant ideas under discussion for reforming the global economic system; and,will present more of the in-depth interviews with the experts as well as a special readings and links section.