Banker Bandits

Not too long ago, bankers were commonly described as boring, stodgy, conservative, unimaginative, tight-fisted.

Today, bankers are seen to be greedy, morally decrepit, too creative for their own good, narcissistic, wasteful.

What happened in between? Dare I say it? Could it be related to the shift in the world's financial center from London to free-wheeling Wall Street?

As a former banker, I do not want to be associated in any way with the morally corrupt CEOs of Wall Street's financial institutions. Give me stodgy anytime.

By now, we are hoarse for crying out loud over the US$18.4 billion bonuses paid in 2008 to these bankers who have brought, not just their banks and the US economy, but the whole world, to its knee. These bank executives, who carelessly took risks without having to put any of their own money on the table, are criminals if they think they still deserve the bonuses, paid by taxpayers money.

As for that famous US$1,405 trash can that was purchased by the former Merrill Lynch CEO for his remodelled office, I would suggest that the US government frame it as a constant reminder of idiotic extravagance.