New poll: Should economists have been able to predict the global economic collapse?

I've added a new poll (see sidebar):

It's been a year since the global economy imploded -- an event that was largely unpredicted. Did economists drop the ball?

• No, economics is too complex and susceptible to sudden trends
• No, economics is not an exact science, but the discipline needs to steadily improve
• Yes, economists are clearly asleep at the wheel and barking up the wrong trees
• Yes, but let’s not overstate the degree to which this could have been predicted

Feel free to add alternative perspectives to the comments.