Who brainwashed FT’s Sarah Gordon?

Sir, Sarah Gordon writes “The relationships between local lenders and their clients … were often too cosy, with loans handed over without the due diligence that should have accompanied them. Generations of family relied on one source of borrowing. Generations of banks asked too few searching questions about companies´ growth plans”, “Europe´s small companies get back in the funding picture” June 19.

Indeed Sarah Gordon, that is not good, but so what? Is that an excuse from locking out small businesses in general from access to bank credit, as the risk-weighted capital requirements for banks do?

Yes there has been many problems with some of these companies… but can you remember any one of them that caused so much damage as the AAA-rated securities backed with badly awarded subprime mortgages in the US, and which were so much in demand because regulators thought these to be so safe… only because credit ratings said so?

It is high noon for some intellectual honesty. Don’t you think so Sarah Gordon?

PS. And of course I am not picking on you specifically Sarah Gordon. In FT with respect to the distortions risk-weighted capital requirements produce, there are many much worse brainwashed than you! (As you know :-))

PS. And by the way, if it comes to too cozy relations, I much prefer those between banks and small to medium sized borrowers, than that between the banks and their infallible sovereign.