Debt for Equity

surely nobody can disagree if I was to say that if, and it is a big if, the taxpayers in Britain and America are to bale out the banks then it must be done on the basis of debt for equity.

We will give you the money but in return we will have shares, we want a controlling interest in the company so that we can decide remuneration and dividends. Now, that would be fair. Representatives on the board of the taxpayer, the government, and the poor.

As for short selling by hedge funds, surely, as I have said elsewhwere, to be a short seller you have to have the shares to sell. They are borrowed from the pension funds. The pension fund trustees can stop this by not allowing it. You don't need a change to the law you just need pension fund trustees who know what they are doing.