Banks

http://www.lovemoney.com/news/manage-your-finances/banks-are-still-a-bunch-of-parasites-3602.aspx#txt_98820

What outrages me is that the banks are getting away with behaviour that would be heartily punished if we tried.

If you or I had bankrupted our employer by investing in things we didn't understand and incidentally plunged the world into an almighty recession, we would expect a bit of a telling off. In fact, we would expect to be fired without compensation, and spend the rest of our lives picking crops somewhere in the Fens at £5 an hour.

What we wouldn't do is demand the taxpayer picks up the tab for our mistakes. Or insist they reward us with a multi-million pound bonus package and pension fund.

No, we would slope guiltily home, draw the curtains, crack open a bottle of Scotch and reach for our old army service revolver.

At least in the Wall Street Crash, bankers had the grace to jump off tall buildings.

The simple reason the streets aren't running red with banker blood is that the average joe doesn't understand what's going on. Slowly though the scale of the injustice will likely sink in and once it does, well, I wouldn't want to be wearing a pin stripe suit.

We seem to have a problem with comprehending the size of this crime, the author of this article hit the nail on the head, this is corporatism plain and simple, privatise the profits, socalise the risk. Thankfully history provides examples of what happens when society becomes this unjust and I've already alluded to one such example.

Viva la 1789 ;)

Corporatism

http://www.welt.de/international/article3961038/America-s-socialism-for-the-rich.html

We need to break up the too-big-to-fail banks; there is no evidence that these behemoths deliver societal benefits that are commensurate with the costs they have imposed on others. And, if we don’t break them up, then we have to severely limit what they do. They can’t be allowed to do what they did in the past – gamble at others’ expenses.

Critical Mass

I did something different this friday.

http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/main.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass



Look carefully at 0:30

From hell's heart I stab at thee... ineffectually.

Email to Allister Heath, editor of City AM, the free newspaper of the London financial district. You really need to read it every morning to get a sense of how loathsome these bastards are.

Dear Mr Heath,

I have the delightful privilege of been able to read your CityAM editorial every morning while crossing London Bridge and I must say, I’m not a fan. Perhaps a year or more ago it would be fine, I’d nod along and maybe even indulge in occasionally agreeing.

But my God, show some humility man, it’s 2009, you and your kin have bankrupted the world economy!
Has it not sunk in?
Are you still in shock?

Are you not aware that the entire financial sector and the people who comprise it have betrayed every free market sensibility they hold so dear?

Get off that massive high horse, get off and tug that dog eared copy of Atlas Shrugged out of your clenched cheeks, open it up, read it and weep. Your industry is not Atlas anymore, maybe you never were, now you're everything you hate.

I recommend you change some of your terminology to be more consistent with this new reality. Here are a few suggestions:
The Government = our dear benefactors.
Gorden Brown = my partner in crime.
Talent = bailout funded welfare queens.

Primarily I want you to be humble damnit, stop talking about the "talent" leaving these shores, the 50% tax rate, is nothing; last time the proles were this angry people lost their heads.

Here's what I recommend to you personally and to everyone working in the square mile; look deep inside yourself, look deep inside, have a good look, and then go Google the word "Seppuku".

Twitter twatter

In a desperate bid to avoid workplace distractions I've started twittering things that I'd love to spend some time googling but really shouldn't because I'm working:

https://twitter.com/nodistraction

Last one, promise.

Dear Sarah Teather,

In addendum to my letter dated 17th, February 2009 and 17th, March (both as of yet un-replied) where I wrote to you regarding my concerns as to the rise of an authoritarian mindset and fascist-like elements in the police force. Sadly as you are no doubt now aware these letters were all too prophetic.

Over the course of the G20 summit and beyond we've seen countless incidents of the type I wrote to you regarding, culminating in the murder of an entirely innocent man, Mr Ian Tomlinson. His death as well as the staggering catalogue of abuses of power now come to light (I direct your attention to the guardian.co.uk who is hosting countless shocking videos and also youtube) are exactly the kind of behaviour I have written to you now twice regarding.

If perhaps action had been taken in March when the openly fascist elements in the police force first came to light then maybe Mr Tomlinson would still be alive today. Instead I see nothing from any of the political parties to stop this rise of violent authoritarianism within the police force.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Green

Why do I write this way?

I honestly can't help myself, I just have so much fun ;)

The Filth

The Guardian obtained this footage of Ian Tomlinson at a G20 protest in London, shortly before he died. It shows Tomlinson, who was not part of the demonstration, being assaulted from behind and pushed to the ground by baton-wielding police.

The weirdest thing is that I actually met this man about 2 weeks before he died. None of the papers are reporting it but he was actually homeless, when I saw him he was begging for money so he could buy some beer (not cinder, cider makes him ill he said). Completely out of character I did actually give him £1.

Around 19:45 police push into the south side of the climate camp on bishopsgate. This short film shows the campers calling out "this is not a riot" and holding their arms in the air, while riot police surge forward wielding batons and shields in an unprovoked attack.

What's striking about this is the chant the people are using, "This is not a riot" and the pacifist raising of hands. If this is how the state responds to a peaceful non-violent protest I fear to imagine what response a real riot would justify.

Over the past 6 years I've been in London I've seen the MET turn from been one of the world's most respected police forces into what is unarguably a bunch of proto-fascist thugs.