The world on the brink of an economic collapse - a scenario

[Andreas]

As lending risk increases the distinction between the "real economy" and the speculators becomes vanishingly thin to nonexistent. Any international investor currently buying Spanish debt is either a speculator or needs to seek out something less risky.

I'm curious, are there any ways to reduce speculation and prevent a bad situation from steering into chaos? Because it doesn't seem healthy to me that you can bet on a currency going down or food prices going up and simply by this act (that is not based on what happens in the "real economy") create a situation that destroys people's means of existence. It seems like a flaw in the system to me.

I'm talking about things in investment banking like short sales and Euro-Bund Futures. Shouldn't they be regulated to prevent worse?