You can't see why this bear market is different than past bear markets?
Man, I can.
Past bear markets weren't due to major accounting scandals and overhyped internet stocks. Sure, past bear markets did share the "bubble" factor (e.g. tech stocks and "growth" stocks), but there were many external factors such as Dust Bowl farming disasters, new tax increases (e.g. Smoot tariff), banning formerly legal industries (e.g. alcohol), excessive government spending on social programs (e.g. War on Poverty), and fighting wars (e.g. Vietnam, Iraq).
But in the other bear markets, we didn't have low inflation/low interest rates/low unemployment and high worker productivity (all of which are very positive economic fundamentals that make seperate stock market recoveries more feasable).
So if I'm right and this bear market is different, then consider that it may be MORE than just a bear market. In fact, it might be the readjustment of our stock markets away from "growth" stocks (i.e. companies that don't pay dividends but merely promise to "grow") to something more fundamental, such as dividend stocks that actually pay stockholders ca$h for buying and holding.
In addition, we are probably witnessing the beginning of a fairly major shift in corporate America away from mega-companies towards smaller, more efficient, leaner firms.
We do live in interesting times, but how many people can really spot a trend as it is happening (rather than in hindsight)...