Whistleblowers

At the end of WWII some Germans pleaded their innocence of war crimes on the basis that either they were following orders, or that they did not know what was being done in their name.

Now, we have the break-down in the glaobal financial system. What are people saying? That they either did not understand what was going on, or that they were following instructions from their managers/directors/chief executive.

I see no difference in the attitude we took to the war criminals as to how we should be treating the financial institutions who have failed the world in their trading policies.

Consider this, a manager would receive a staff appraisal saying that he has not been selling enough mortgages to the public. Therefore, he sells them to people who really can't afford a mortgage. He is following orders, he knows from his experience and previously acquired knowledge that this person really should not have a mortgage, but he has to reach his target.

He is as guilty as the Nazi soldier or camp guard who followed orders. The mortgage was granted because he needed to keep his job, he had a family to feed, a standard of living to maintain. We are all guilty, the system is breaking down, we are all shamed. Where were the whistle blowers.

As Shakespeare would say, 'we are all pimps and whores'. Nick, we are all guilty and are we going to pay for it!