Sunday, February 05, 2012

Professional hatred (part 5)

Anything to do with finance

I mentioned I don't like accountants / bankers / stockbrokers in a previous entry of my blog. Yet with the economic crisis as it is around the world and what has happen since I last wrote that entry, I think I should elaborate more.

I, with about 99% of the world's population, don't know a single fact about high level finance. I just about cope with managing my bank accounts and credit cards. I know there is a complicated network out there to generate money but I'm just as ignorant about it as I am ignorant about quantum physics and art. Yet I can get by just managing my bank account, probably because my job pays well and I live cost free at home.

I don't really like anything with stocks or bonds. One of the reason's why I don't like anything to do with the stock market, apart from knowing next to nothing about it, is if your job's sole purpose is to make money, then you have to look at what you really contribute society. I judge people's occupation by how much it gives back to the community. If the world had to start again (for example after a nuclear war has wiped all technology on Earth or an alien invasion has decimated the planet), which jobs would be most useful. At the bottom of the pile are the jobs I hate (see any of my previous entries for details).

I'm sure that most of the bankers and stockbrokers are nice people in real life - I have one as a younger brother. Yet there are some, a minority, that just take things over the edge and screw up people's lives. Yet we value these people enough to given one million pound bonuses despite their bank being still in the red. That says more about our society than those people, on second thoughts

Let's just say this: I'm not against rich people. I'm more about distributing the wealth (yes, my socialist rantings are beginning to surface). It is just not me saying it. Even the wealthiest French people were saying they should be taxed more back in August last year. There are wealthy people who are willing to have their taxes raised to help society, in USA and around the world.

If we want these people's jobs to become poisoned chalices, shouldn't we do a little bit more like not be friends with them, throwing stuff at them when the walk in the street or just not pay for their services? The unfortunate problem is we do need banks. These people have become a necessity rather than an option