Ooooh. So much of it i agree with quids. Your post here and on related threads is largely spot on But historically and in the future, us masses will want what we can't have. The lessons between the 30s and 80s amounted to agreeing the banks would be careful not to fuel that. But having been in a straightjacket for so long they have continually lobbied HARD for each govt to give them more leeway. Any govt from thatcher onwards would have list votes acting the parental role in the face of such lobbying Again I agree the subsequent boom aided lots but wouldn't we, like Arsenal without silverware, have benefited from such discipline We are where we are. And I agree with you the city needs to play it's part to the full. But is should have been doing it's job properly to begin with. If people are angry with them it isn't just mail like hysteria. They didn't do their inportant job. And when people get cross with them they say they will take their toys away. That is just bullying in the gave of fair criticism. The lehmans and other banks which messed up left a huge crisis which the other banks failed to solve. They should take that criticism on board and understand their limits. If Jamie dimon or similar (and he did a much better job than most) was able to quell the trouble then people couldn see why bonuses were worth it. But it was ploddders like brown who stood up. The world was within hours of every cashpoint not working because the all powerful bankers were paralysed. We need them. We really do. But they aren't worth what they believe