Now, how many of you believed that? It's actually nonsense as I just made it up! It's interesting that, when something has been written down, it assumes the mantle of TRUTH - we believe it. So, what else do we all believe that's complete fabrication? Scary thought! Not sure why I should bring this up today but it's just something to ponder.
Now, how much does Arthur believe Mary? Their story continues from yesterday's blog ...
"Mary, I do see that you are in a quandary and have rather a lot on your plate. It can't be easy for you," he said. "However, I don't know where I heard this but they say it's best to ride the horse in the direction it's going."
"What, ride a horse?"
"Oh dear," said Arthur, realising his helpful epithet went straight over her head. "Gosh, ah, what appears to me, Mary, is that you need a job done and there's no one here to do it. You're between an immovable object and an unstoppable force, as Newton might have said."
"Newton who?"
"Newton the scientist … discovered gravity ..." said Arthur, feeling his fingers slipping from yet another cliff edge. "Look Mary, Joan and I have discussed this at length and what I can offer you is four days a week - one in the office and the rest at home."
"At home? At HOME?" asked Mary, her voice rising with each syllable. "You just cannot do this at home."
"But you offered that to me …" said Arthur, confused.
"Oh, yes, I did," said Mary, going quite red. "But it's become quite urgent."
"Can I not just take the files and a laptop and then we'll have email and phone ..."
"You cannot take the files home, Arthur," said Mary, standing again. "What would the inspectors ..."
"Inspectors?"
"Ah, oh, damn it, I've said it now haven't I!" said Mary, rubbing her brow. She sat down and was silent for a moment. "Look, Arthur, you need to keep this under your hat."
"Hat?"
"Keep it confidential - I know I can trust you on that," said Mary with a hopeful smile. "There's been an investigation mooted by the Financial Services Authority, the FSA, who are supposed to control banks and other financial institutions."
"Yes, yes, I know of them," said Arthur, "but I've had no involvement with them - they've never been here before."
"No, they've never really been anywhere before," said Mary, brightening a little. "The reality is, of course, that they were never intended to actually do anything, but just make the public think they were protected from the large financial institutions. These banking institutions actually control the politicians - look how they've been able to wheedle billions from the government when no other industry has."
"Oh dear, I'd never really thought about it ..."
"Absolutely, they don't want anyone to think about it," said Mary, warming to one of her favourite subjects. "As we continue to believe the illusion of the FSA protecting us all, we'll keep depositing our money with the banks and repaying our mortgages and credit cards - like dumb milking cows, every day."
"Oh yes," said Arthur at a loss for words but poignantly reminded of his own imagined references to cows going to work every morning.
"Just as the American treasury is owned and run by privately-run banks - not by the US government - so it is with our Bank of England," said Mary, warming to her subject. "The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, the B of E, was supposed to be the public's watchdog but when it failed to avert a series of scandals in the 1990s culminating in the collapse of Barings Bank, the Financial Services Authority was created to give the public the impression that all was independent and professional, at last ."
No comments:
Post a Comment