*shrug* If we're playing by completely realistic rules of how economies work, then Rockhounds by itself should've caused a massive economic crisis by flooding the world materials market with a couple billion tons of high-grade metal per Space Rock. That sort of thing would drive the price of all sorts of metals, from the obvious iron all the way to rare earths, down to zilch. Which would, you know, cause difficulties with certain markets.
The big financial crisis will still happen panic or no panic, since that's largely predicated on stockbrokers/scam artists shuffling notational billions around with little oversight. AIs with an interest in financial shenannigans don't show up until after the panic starts, unfortunately.[1] Likewise most of the bubbles that popped OTL were going to pop regardless of whether handwavium existed or not; the machinery there was wound up and running long before people started going to space. That said, the influx of new resources from Fenspace is keeping the global economy from slamming into the bottom quite as hard as it did OTL. It's also providing an outlet for people who try their hand at something new and interesting in the new and (theoretically) more just Fen societies.[2]
[1] There's a group of AIs and other like-minded folk in the Cyber Confederation who are suggesting the world's financial markets be turned over to AI management, but the armies of Cornelius Snarlingtons who run that sector cry dirty socialism and bankroll anti-Fen politicians. So it goes.
[2] Sometimes finding out that those societies aren't as new and/or just as the ones they left behind, but then with a smaller population base it's more likely their voices will be heard. From there, we see the hilarity ensuing in the Occupy thread.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
The big financial crisis will still happen panic or no panic, since that's largely predicated on stockbrokers/scam artists shuffling notational billions around with little oversight. AIs with an interest in financial shenannigans don't show up until after the panic starts, unfortunately.[1] Likewise most of the bubbles that popped OTL were going to pop regardless of whether handwavium existed or not; the machinery there was wound up and running long before people started going to space. That said, the influx of new resources from Fenspace is keeping the global economy from slamming into the bottom quite as hard as it did OTL. It's also providing an outlet for people who try their hand at something new and interesting in the new and (theoretically) more just Fen societies.[2]
[1] There's a group of AIs and other like-minded folk in the Cyber Confederation who are suggesting the world's financial markets be turned over to AI management, but the armies of Cornelius Snarlingtons who run that sector cry dirty socialism and bankroll anti-Fen politicians. So it goes.
[2] Sometimes finding out that those societies aren't as new and/or just as the ones they left behind, but then with a smaller population base it's more likely their voices will be heard. From there, we see the hilarity ensuing in the Occupy thread.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"