Londons Burning!

[MrBump]

So, given that I'm technically on of Britains hated w**kers bankers, I wonder what fate will befall me next week?  Or will all the talk of anarchy be a damp squib?

I'm not one for wearing a tie, but I'm tempted to put one on next week just for sheer devilry...

 :D

Mark.

[AndyR]

You work in "the city" then? I'm just up the road, the Angel end of City Road.

I noticed the "End of the world" type reporting in people's newspapers this morning - so what is this G20? I thought it was some sort of guitar-fest... obviously not :lol:

(I also hadn't realised it was "here" this time...)

I'm not in banking, but I do wear a suit, and I do travel up the "suggested flash-points" route... sigh... my Mum will be listening to the news and worrying again...

[MrBump]

Worked in the City for years, now I'm a Canary Wharfer! I suspect the crustys will make it over this way...

Fine by me, I'm all in favour of democratic protest.  But the media hype has been very aggressive this time...

I blame the Daily Mail.

For everything, pretty much...

Mark.

[Philosoful]

and that's why I shall never buy Newspapers so long as they stay how they are - full of bad news and exagerated claims and trivial side stories like the endless Jade G front page prints. It's the people buying them who keep it going though...

[Dmoney]

im no crusty type... and i hope you're not lumping everyone who is angry into that group.
im glad people are getting angry, the angrier the better.

I was glad someone bricked that ex-RBS bosses windows. Obviously not everyone that works at a bank is corrupt.
I think there are a number of factors right now all contributing to the climate. I'm sure i heard somewhere that MP's want to get rid of expenses and increase their wage, and the ball has begun rolling to do so, but it will only be after the next election that it really comes to light. can you imagine MP's increasing their wages right now?

did anyone watch Question Time last night? It was funny.

[MrBump]

im no crusty type... and i hope you're not lumping everyone who is angry into that group.
im glad people are getting angry, the angrier the better.

I was glad someone bricked that ex-RBS bosses windows. Obviously not everyone that works at a bank is corrupt.
I think there are a number of factors right now all contributing to the climate. I'm sure i heard somewhere that MP's want to get rid of expenses and increase their wage, and the ball has begun rolling to do so, but it will only be after the next election that it really comes to light. can you imagine MP's increasing their wages right now?

did anyone watch Question Time last night? It was funny.

Yeah, I watched Question Time.

And I DON'T in any way agree with the attack on Fred Goodwin.  Nor do I agree with demonising him in the press.  In other market conditions Goodwin would have been hailed as a financial genius for an aggressive take over of ABN Amro.  At the worst, it was a mis calculation, which I'm sure doesn't sit well with people.

I get things wrong all the time at work.  I wouldn't want anyone to try to take away my pension because of it...

Mark.

NB - no, I don't classify all protesters as "crusty", I was just being flipant, as is my way.

[Oli]

I'll be in the area of conflict on wednesday- it's on my walk to uni, so it should be an interesting journey :)

[Dmoney]

being flippant is fine.

He WAS heralded as some super banker wasn't he, prior to the banks collapse and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding that? Although, and im not sure about this, if the bank has been propped up with tax payers money, does that mean the 2.5million tax free lump sum, plus his almost quarter of million pound a year pension for life come out of that money?

Even that select committee didn't think he should have got all that. I remember the question of 'expensive back scratching' or 'general incompetence' came up when the pension issue was discussed with the person who was responsible for watching what was going on financially at the bank after the bailout.

besides, its one persons massive pension. there are probably millions of people now who've had their pensions ruined recently, so there are bunch of people looking foward to later and later retirement followed by rotting out after loosing everything they put aside.

what is your take on the governor of the bank of england not following gordon browns line? from what ive heard it seems sensible.

im actually trying to sort out my money now, but i have no idea if its even worth bothering. I bank with RBS and i don't know if i can trust what anyone tells me regarding saving right now.

[Johnny Mac]

I might go and watch, it might good fun!  :lol:

[Dmoney]

I might go and watch, it might good fun!  :lol:

agreed!
i might join in.

[FELINEGUITARS]

If anyone else messed up so catastrophically at work they would be sacked without remuneration.

Considering how the banks have c--ked things up there should be NO talk of bonuses - they should be glad to still have jobs (those that weren't let go)

I fear the only reason he bonuses and golden handshakes have remained is because the government ministers are in bed with all the fatcats - and an issue like boardroom pay is one that they dont really want to reign in.

Why has the G20 been so widely reported

Is it because the papers dont have any celeb gossip this week
or
because the government would actually like a bit of civil unrest so it can call a stste of emergency and roll back a few more civil liberties under the guise of terrorism prevention or suchlike

[MrBump]

I'm no expert.

Goodwin got an obscene amount of money as a pension and payoff, but they were the rules that everyone was playing by.  I don't think that it's right for the popular press to then turn on the man and cry "foul".

Personally I think that both the government and the FSA were caught napping by this and when the arse fell out of the world they wanted to start blaming people.  Ultimately lack of regulation (or regulation with teeth) made matters worse.

Bankers will do what they're paid well to do.  It's like this TAX thing at BarCap - loads of people bitching that the company had a whole department set up for TAX avoidence.

DUH!!!

Of course it bloody did, it's a bank!!!  It's what they do - manipulate money to the best of their and their clients advantage!!!  I suspect that if Barclays wasn't running this scheme it would be in a far worse position financially, and would probably need us, the TAX payer, to bail it out!!!

Right.  Off to get dreads in my hair, and put on my combats.

Mark.

[Jonny]

It's quite irritating that the banks give out bonuses. Is there really no way from telling them not to rather than just slapping their wrists?

To keep with the analogy, I'd cut their wrists off..

[Dmoney]

If anyone else messed up so catastrophically at work they would be sacked without remuneration.

Considering how the banks have c--ked things up there should be NO talk of bonuses - they should be glad to still have jobs (those that weren't let go)

I fear the only reason he bonuses and golden handshakes have remained is because the government ministers are in bed with all the fatcats - and an issue like boardroom pay is one that they dont really want to reign in.

Why has the G20 been so widely reported

Is it because the papers dont have any celeb gossip this week
or
because the government would actually like a bit of civil unrest so it can call a stste of emergency and roll back a few more civil liberties under the guise of terrorism prevention or suchlike

agreed.
i like the whole myspace and facebook messages need to be monitored and kept for anti-terrorist purposes, and the legislation attempting to make photographing police illegal. i wish everyone would protest when they got angry, then nobody would go around thinking its just people who dont wash, listen to discharge, and ride fixed gear bikes that care.

[blue]

we do seem to be wandering into a 1984 style police state.  the uk has more surveillance camera's per head of population than any other country in the world.  the biggest dna database in the world, and the government wants to put us all on it.  they're bringing in id cards, and trying to make it out like it's a great thing! i saw samething where they had some youngsters all excited because they might get their shiny biometric id cards before anyone else.  they want to keep details of every phone call, text message and e-mail, and now they want to keep details of everything we do online.  not just the social etworking thing, they also want to know what sites we've visited and searches we've made.  privacy will no longer be an option, the age of the individual will be a thing of the past.

and when i mention this to pretty much anyone i know?  if you've nothing to hide, what are you worrying about?

another one i just remembered: they've slipped in legislation about what constitutes pornography, or offensive material.  and it's very vague! basically, if a policeman, judge, or other "concerned citizen" decides they don't like something, they can prosecute you and have you jailed.  there is no exact definition of what is illegal, it's basically up to someone to arbitrarily decide what they think is illegal.  like a bit of bondage? s&m?  you're a deviant, off to jail with you!

and don't forget, you're not allowed to criticise any religions now.

bye bye free speech, it was nice knowing you xo