2010 Davos unofficial theme: "First, kill all the bankers" (WSJ)

[concerned1]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704343104575033373335750804.html

JANUARY 29, 2010
At Davos, Bankers Are on the Run
By MARCUS WALKER and EMMA MOODY

DAVOS, Switzerland — Not so long ago, financiers ruled the roost at the glitzy annual gathering of the global economic elite here in the Swiss Alps. At this year's gathering of the World Economic Forum, the unofficial theme seems to be, "First, kill all the bankers."

The ire directed at bankers from all sides is palpable, acknowledged Donald Moore, chairman of Morgan Stanley in Europe, as he stood alone reading some charts amidst the hubbub at the forum's Global Village cafe. Asked which other groups of people have been similarly unpopular in Davos in the past, he said: "terrorists." The quip reflects the mounting alarm with which bankers have come to view their besieged profession—even in Davos, a usually cozy gathering.

The scorn poured on the industry at this year's get-together in the Swiss ski resort is a sign of a mounting international backlash against the financial sector. Popular anger about banks' role in the financial crisis, and their behavior in its aftermath, has spilled over to the world's elite business executives, politicians and regulators. Since gathering here Wednesday, they have been aiming sometimes bitter recriminations at the tainted masters of the banking universe...

One European bank chairman complained that the organizers of the conference have invited too many politicians and regulators to what was formerly a friendly get-together for the business elite. At times the atmosphere has turned downright hostile, say some. French President Nicholas Sarkozy delivered a populist broadside in the keynote address to officially open the meeting. "There is indecent behavior that will no longer be tolerated by public opinion in any country of the world," Mr. Sarkozy told the conference. "That those who create jobs and wealth may earn a lot of money is not shocking. But that those who contribute to destroying jobs and wealth also earn a lot of money is morally indefensible," Mr. Sarkozy said.

A widespread view heard here is that banks have brought much of the anger upon themselves, by appearing to return to a culture of high-risk-taking and lavish pay as soon as they were out of intensive care. "I think banks have misjudged the deep feelings of the public regarding the devastating effects of the crisis," said Guillermo Ortiz, until recently Mexico's central bank governor...

[aquart]

1. "appearing to return" NUH UH. They returned for real.

[yurbud]

2. if only it were true!

[Union Yes]

3. That's change I can believe in. knr nt

[Goldstein1984]

4. Anger... Scourn... Ire...

It's a start.

My daughter tells me that my 4-year-old grandson is repeating my simple lesson to him at daycare: "Bankers are scum."

As soon as he's old enough, he'll be started on Howard Zinn's "A Young People's History of the United States," and he'll be well-versed in Chomsky before high school.

We'll destroy the "economic elite," in this generation or the next.

[Kalun D]

5. Bankers And Politicians

Then kill all the politicians that aid and abet the bankers.

If you can get life in prison without parole for lesser crimes (3 strikes), how come stealing $BILLIONS doesn't mean a life sentence?

The guillotine is one of the most notorious forms of execution. Made up of a razor sharp blade attached to a rope, the victims head was placed in the middle of the frame and then the blade dropped with efficiency, causing the person to be decapitated almost instantly. The guillotine is a seemingly humane method of execution until you consider that people potentially are still alive for a few moments following the act. Crowds have reported that people who had been guillotined would blink their eyes or mouth words shortly after their heads had been cut off. Experts theorized that the swiftness of the blade had little impact on the brain, and didn’t cause loss of consciousness. One doctor even reported witnessing a man’s execution, and when he called the prisoner’s name after his head was detached, the prisoner made eye contact with him, even focusing his pupils. It must be pretty weird to know that your head is no longer attached to your body!

[discocrisco01]

6. Bankers

The bankers need to be treated like frat boys with gambling and alcohol addiction. Th

[Kalun D]

7. gambling and Alcohol

doesn't have innocent victims like mortgage foreclosures and forced bankruptcies do.