Evan Davis and The Bottom Line on Radio 4 today

I've just been listening to Evan Davis chairing The Bottom Line on Radio 4. "With protests continuing around the world against the financial sector, three guests from that industry swap candid thoughts about it. Evan puts to them a fundamental question: is their industry creating genuine wealth, or is it essentially parasitic, finding clever ways of distributing other people's wealth to its own workers? Joining Evan in the studio are Ken Olisa, chairman of boutique technology merchant bank Restoration Partners; Ian Gorham, chief executive of financial advisory firm Hargreaves Lansdown; Julian Roberts, chief executive of savings and investment group Old Mutual".

Well, give him his due, Evan Davis really homed in, again and again, on the key outrage of the rôle of the bankers in the worldwide financial woes of recent years - namely their lack of accountability. Try as he might, however, and despite his repeatedly drawing attention to the great suffering endured by so many innocent people who were taken for a ride by being allowed/persuaded/conned to borrow money they could not pay back, he could not obtain much sympathy/understanding for the victims. He pointed out that 'Heads we win, tails you (i.e. the taxpayers) lose' was not right or fair, but it was largely a dialogue with the deaf. He was informed that it was a matter of 'Caveat Emptor!' (Let the buyer beware!') and if people were stupid enough to fall for dodgy deals, they must take the consequences.

About the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and its dire consequences

The film Inside Job takes a look at the financial crisis of 2008. It documents the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry, and the consequences of that systemic corruption. I strongly urge you to watch this if you can spare the time.

It takes nearly 2 hours but it is in 15 minute chunks and even if you only watch part of it I feel sure you will find it worthwhile. The greed, the lies, the corruption is so rank and did such terrible harm and caused such terrible suffering worldwide, the perpetrators should not remain unpunished and should not still be in positions of power - but they are still in positions of power! The Law has supported and protected these wicked people.

If you are one of the people who has suffered because of the financial chicanery of the banks and the useless regulators, venal politicians, etc. - and that is surely all of us -I do urge you to watch this film and see how easily and cynically it was done.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. I believe these horrors will happen again because the fraudsters/criminals are still in power - still raking in shedloads of cash - still robbing the poor of all lands.

Please try to watch it!