The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

“On the positive side maybe this will help get the World to realise what is truly important again … move them from embracing meritology to something I call morolology – where values and principals are regarded as being important again”.

I’d sincerely love that if it happened. Hell, I’d just like it if a few more people said please and thank you. Not asking much, honest..

It wasn’t just the financial industry – it was salespeople selling mortgages and property, it was regular people thinking they were onto a sure thing in the letting market and it was governments winning elections on the back of asset inflation and not regulating like they should have done.

As you have reminded us on many occasions Robert, the blame for a situation like this must go beyond the individuals who worked for the organisation and include any shareholder who demanded ever increasing returns on their investments.

This should not however allow banks to relinquish their responsibility because on top of their questionable moral stance, they’ve also demonstrated a disregard for acting in their shareholders long term best interests but with the US Government intent on letting them off the hook, I don’t believe there would be any chance a class action even getting past the fist stage.

Sweden handled it best when they were caught in a similar situation a few years back but the Scandinavian culture is far more socialistic than America which is why the US will pay it’s hush money to keep the American dream alive.

Excellent post Robert, I hope your colleagues see the potential in a political cynic.

Can I ask if this was written prior or post our meeting? I guess I’m trying to figure out if this is coincidence or subtle manipulation. Very enjoyable catching up, speak very soon.

You all moan about the banking industry but we helped you live dramatically better and more comforable lives. You want someone to blame? Try looking in the mirror. I’d rather be a banker than some advertsising hack, at least we make our money rather than whore for it.

I am honoured – a banker reading my blog.

That can only mean one thing, you’re one of those banking underlings who lost their job and now spend hours desperately searching the net for any mention of banking in a desperate bid to feel valued, important and special.

OK that was very childish of me – but hey, you started it with your comment. 🙂

I actually would like to have a real discussion with you about this issue because you do raise some valid[ish] points … so if you would like to write back and promise not to come in all arms swinging, I assure you I will try and keep my blog friends inline.

Alternatively you can email me directly at rob @ cynical-world dot com.

Finally, I would be careful about saying only ad people are whores because over the years I’ve had literally hundreds of phonecalls from banks offering me “amazing opportunities” which means I could generalise your industry as being nothing more than a bunch of ambulance chasers.

AGE: I changed your ‘naughty’ word, sorry – but as I said last week, rules are rules. 🙂

Fuck you banker/wanker..fuck you and the Dell you blogged on. Ad people may be whores, but you are pimps. that’s even worse, fucking parasites.
You wanna mail me please do…I’d love to hear from you.

Look at this way. Lehman brothers paid out bonuses in 2006 of more than the losses in 2008 that led to them being nationalised

bazza – that’s twice you’ve used that knock knock joke on here in as many weeks – once more and you’ll be looking more pathetic than our poor anonymous banker who wandered in here.

and to our dear anonymous banker (so unapologetic we have to address you with a pseudonym), please tell me that by ‘help you all live dramatically better and more comforable lives’ you mean the millions of people who live on or below the poverty line and who are now financially stable and self-sufficient. otherwise, it’s a severe case of pot calling the kettle black, my friend.

the only thing I’ll grant the invisible banker, is the fact that the masses are guilty by association.

Nothing is for free. cliche as it sounds. but when you got a loan 7 times you income, and the monthly payments took up more than 40% of your paycheck, did nobody wonder if this was ok? Or did u just rush to get that second job?

Frugality should be making a comeback. Plus the framing of a house as an investment fucked up alot of people. all this buying and flipping.

A house is not an investment. It’s a place to live in, it’s home. Dollarization got the better of man. People moving every couple of years, just to live above means.

the education system needs to be looked at as well. Perhaps installing permanent life education. It’s when people enter the “real world”(there is that fuking word again) that they loose sight of basic economics and conduct rules.

Dr Phil is making a shitload stating the obvious. There is a huge market in it. Life points or some shit..or some collective incentive. If the whole neighbourhood goes to money class, you get upgrades to the neighbourhood, so that you don’t wanna leave as soon.

or some shite..

Fair point Mr McG but Rob’s post is not overly aggressive and neither were the comments prior to Mr Bankers verbal assault so I think certain people’s spirited response has more to do with how Mr Banker approached his comment than their need to pick a fight with anyone who has an alernative view.

Rob has always said financial institutions are behind some of the greatest things that have happened as well as some of the worst, he is a fair guy he approaches these issues like a lawyer who can only allow reaonable doubt to linger in the minds of the people so when a person launches into an attack with minimal provocation ít says more about the issues they’re trying to cope with than anything else.

You are on the wrong blog for advertising hacks.
It’s not always the bankers fault they are working for a corrupt system in a corrupt industry.

If Mr Bank lends me 100 bucks I won’t call him a thieving dick. We got a deal?

Hey Mr McG (why is every fucker on here suddenly a Mr?) you might not find banks as morally objectionable as that Michael Jackson face paint shit you were flogging but you should talk to Rob about the homeless families he met who have been kicked to the streets by lying mortgage lenders and profit at all fucking costs banks. Then you should talk to the google guys about their thoughts after Rob held a conference and introduced these family to them and finally you should meet the families and look into their eyes and see if you still can accept the crimes of finance without any pain because I can’t and I’m a tough fuck. There’s a big difference between companies who get people to buy because of fear and companies who put fear into people because they did.

You’re in shit Seb, no c words allowed on this blog and at this moment Campbell and the boys are getting on a plane bound for Asialand so if Mrs C pops by in the next 18 hours Rob is going to have to kill you. Do an overdose of 🙂 quick, it’s your only chance.

Just because I also told Seb no c words doesn’t mean I’m Dadlike like Marcus. Hope that clears up any confusion because I’m a tough guy with tatts. What about the hundred bucks bank man?

It wasn’t me saying the c-word.
It was an imaginary conversation.
So I’m not sure that counts.
😉 🙂

My wife works as a fund manager at a big investment bank in the money markets. The eye of the storm.

My view is that they all have it coming to them. I have little sympathy – her included.

However I am coming to appreciate a different slant on it – my wife (who is quite senior in a middle management kind of way) ..is just doing what she’s told. And HER boss is just doing what HE’S told, too – and there’s only about 10 – 20 of him around the world in this $1 trillion organisation.

So who’s to blame ?

The scary thing is that the decisions that have got the financial markets into this state have been taken by a very small number of very senior people. You really can point your finger at individuals.

And they’re NOT paying for it really, either. They’re being bailed out (on the whole) and still pulling their salaries.

Of course I suppose you could say ultimately that they in turn are only doing what the shareholders demanded of them – which pretty much puts the blame back into broader society.

Billy the tough guy sounds like new positioning to me.

I don’t normally comment but I’ve read what some people are saying (including “those” words) and feel compelled to add a few words.
We cannot let these people off the hook. We need to remember that someone in these banks created products with the sole aim to maximize their profits regardless of the wider social cost and I can’t believe the government are going to bail out these criminals without any major recourse.
These people adopted a devil may care attitude towards who they gave credit approval to because they were addicted to the profit with many cases coming to light that mortgage brokers lied to some of the most vulnerable and trusting people just so they could secure an extra commission.
If it’s all collapsing by their ears they only have themselves to blame and I would raid their personal accounts and give it to those who were misled and throw the lot of them in jail and let them rot in hell.
You cannot understand the evil these people have cast until you meet the victims and having spent a few hours with 5 families at Robert’s conference I can assure I will never let my family be beholden to a bank for one cent.
They are worse than drug pushers and the men at the top must be brought to task not given golden handshakes or public excuses.
I am sorry for the heated tone of this message but I sense some people are too distanced from the realities of what’s going to make a representative comment.
Thank you.

How accurate was the last line of my last comment

None of that means that I didn’t think Mary’s comment was as good as any I’ve read on this blog.

Where is Mr Apologetic Banker? Gone? No more Latte and free Wifi at the inhouse Starbucks of Lehman Brothers?

Just got in and I see Seb in trouble [I’ll be editing THAT word naughty boy], Marcus being responsible, Mary going off on one [excellent rant], alot of people seemingly saying the core guilty people will get away with what they’ve done and our new friend, Mr Banker, being as quiet as a mouse.

To be fair the Unapologetic one may have emailed me so I’ll go and check before grabbing some sleep then going into a MarioKart frenzy. I’ll let you know … [about the email, you probably couldn’t care about my Nintendo exploits]

Nice to see such passion on here – so I owe Mr Banker some gratitude because an issue that is affecting us all got talked about though I do have to say I agree with Billy [who’d of thought] and Mary that once you meet people who have been affected – as in really affected – your willingness to accept no legal recourse will be followed through on the major players who created these schemes/rushed them though/sold them is almost impossible.

At a time where the US Police arrest a man and send him to prison for farting on a coppers leg [true!] I find it sick that the banks [or more precisely, certain individuals inside banks – and inside Government departments – because they sure as hell knew what was going on] will basically get away with it.

I don’t want scapegoats but I fear that’s what we’ll get with the World accepting it because their main fear is the economy grinds to a halt. Again I agree with Billy that these are 2 separate issues and whilst getting the money markets moving again can stop even more terrible collapse, so is ensuring that the chances of this happening again [which it will] are delayed as long as possible and that can only occur when the US Government act against those behind the schemes rather than turn a blind eye.

As much as the milk crisis in China has affected the World’s view of China as a whole, this is affecting the whole image of America and interms of damage to the World, it’s a weapon of mass destruction so if the Yanks want to bring Osama to criminal justice I think the least they can do is follow through the same principals on the people behind these schemes because whilst one committed murder on a massive scale, the other has destroyed even more lives, albeit in a different way.

Hey all,

A few quotes from Woody Guthrie came to mind reading your comments:

“Yes, as through this world I’ve wandered I’ve seen lots of funny men; Some will rob you with a six-gun, And some with a fountain pen”

“It’s round the world I’ve traveled; it’s round the world I’ve roamed; but I’ve yet to see an outlaw drive a family from its home”

Hope as much as the rest of you that justice will be served and there’s a clean-out at the top of the financial world, hopefully new blood can bring with them some new and better ways of thinking and doing (actually, maybe that could be written into the loan agreement?)

Keep up the great posts Rob. Hope to catch you at PSFK if I can get up there.

All the best
Tim (down in NZ)

So “crooked twats” is an officially allowed term?

Unfortunately I’m not new Rob – I just keep dicking about with my name.

Yo Tommer, that’s my schtick ! 😉

that’s some pizda stuff to pull.

AND I’ve got an MBA from London Business School so I guess that definitely puts me in the same camp as that dude you battled at your conference (I was before his time ‘though I think)

tommer – as in raymond?

wicked!! hey mate 🙂 you rock!!

what a great idea! see everyone – the man knows what he’s talking about… 🙂

Glory, glory glory Ho-le.

Enjoy it Dodds.

So Mr McG, do you still feel the same way after this idiot’s latest demonstration of mental shortcoming? Who fancies putting on an Andy vs Banker webcam show? All proceeds go to paying the bankers hospital and dental bill?

You don’t know how fun it is to see Andy angry. 🙂

🙂

Money once backed by gold, now backed by trust… what else could have gone wrong?