Fred the Shred: a convenient scapegoat?
We are witnessing an unprecedented outpouring of anger at our political and financial elite, writes MG Zimeta in her web exclusive, free to read online this week. Fueled by the drip-feed of news about politicians’ embarrassing expense claims and the excessive bonuses paid to chairmen of banks bailed out by the taxpayer, our collective moral outrage has rarely seemed more intense.
But are we right in our rage? Or, in the furore about the failed morals of our political and financial institutions, are we in danger of compromising our own moral standing—and missing a valuable opportunity to fix what went wrong? What bankers and politicians most need, argues Zimeta, is not punishment but rehabilitation.
As always, weigh in with your thoughts and comments here.
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Rehabilitation of the wrongdoers is certainly a noble idea, but what about the prospect of us ever being able to make that idea come true? Just a few questions:
“An MP who was prepared to put in some hours for local industry, like at a troubled manufacturing firm in the north, or for a local employer like an old people’s home, might be better equipped to understand the priorities and concerns of the people they represent.”
And please, how do you manage to make an MP be prepared?
“Lobbying for this alternative philanthropy (i.e. direct engagement instead of chequebook philanthropy), instead of baying for banker blood, would also make the rest of us immune to accusations of resentment.”
The article draws the parallel to the Green movement – to be honest, this parallel is more frustrating than encouraging, because it took decades for such a key-word as sustainability to enter politics and business as a reasonable concept – and not just some freak idea of some hopelessly freak fringe-groups that could safely be ignored. And even today it is more widespread in mission statements than actually acted upon. Every conference on climate change bears this out.
“If there was ever a time to reimagine what we can ask of both of them, it is now.”
Pray, what is some reimagining of ordinary taxpayers to the powers that be or that are about to do business as usual, i.e. go on utterly disregarding where their riches come from? Our imagination is bound to fail in the attempt to tear the web of power, interdependence of politics and business, and the determination to stay in power
Was it not Maggie Thatcher herself who christened the ‘big bang’ allowing the likes of the untrained unethical ‘greed is good’ types into The City mid 80’s and red Porches and braces were leased all round.