“Shoot the bankers, nationalise the banks”

From the Financial Times, mouthpiece of finance capital:

“Shoot the bankers, nationalise the banks”

By Philip Stephens

Financial Times : January 19 2009 19:40

For once, Gordon Brown is guilty of understatement. The other day the prime minister remarked on the rising public anger at the behaviour of Britain’s banks. Unbridled rage would have been a more accurate description of the national mood.

On a recent visit to Washington I heard several people say that when the reckoning is finally made some big Wall Street figures are going to end up in jail. My impression is that many on this side of the Atlantic would like to see one or two British bankers join them.

…

For the moment, though, I cannot think of a more popular policy than shooting the bankers and nationalising the banks. It might even win Mr Brown an election. Come to think of it, it could also be the way to get us out of this mess.”

And I thought left-wing extremists were bad …