The direction into which banks go remains the same as the one before the crisis.
Martin Arnold, discussing the weakening of European banks when compared to the American quotes John Vickers, the former Chair of the UK's Independent Commission on Banking (ICB)with, “You had in effect a huge taxpayer-backed subsidy for risk-taking and that ended in tears. So pulling back from that is directionally a good thing” "How US banks took over the financial world", September 16.
Sir, do you see how little the world has learnt? The huge taxpayer-backed subsidy was not at all for risk-taking but for the excessive build up of exposures to what was perceived as safe, and against which regulators therefore allowed them to hold especially little capital.
“So pulling back from that is directionally a good thing” No! There has unfortunately not been any change in directions. By keeping the risk weighted capital requirements, the banks are still pushed towards what is perceived, decreed or can be concocted as safe, and away from what is perceived as risky.
The reason for it? The fact that the real causes of the bank crisis have been classified by those responsible for these, as something that shall not be named. And Sir, FT, sadly, is complicit in such cover up. In doing so FT, sadly, is absolutely not living up to its motto.
@PerKurowski
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