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Bank Sharks and BS Sharks
I've come to the conclusion that if a loan shark wanted to become legit, all he'd need to do is land a job as a bank manager. He'd find the hours more agreeable, the pay legitimate, no cops on his tail all the time and, best of all, he can count on their support and those of the bailiffs when he needs to go out there and break a few defaulters.
Banks and building societies (BS) have gradually crept into loan shark territory, to the point where they're basically indistinguishable from Cousin Vic and The Boys. The only thing banks and BS have that's different from getting your money from a loan shark is the veneer of "old tradition" in which this current generation of moneylenders wrap themselves, much like a failing politician wraps himself up in his national flag for a photo shoot.
There's nothing old skool about banks and BS these days. They're all just as much a Mob as La Cosa Nostra.
Banks and building societies (BS) have gradually crept into loan shark territory, to the point where they're basically indistinguishable from Cousin Vic and The Boys. The only thing banks and BS have that's different from getting your money from a loan shark is the veneer of "old tradition" in which this current generation of moneylenders wrap themselves, much like a failing politician wraps himself up in his national flag for a photo shoot.
There's nothing old skool about banks and BS these days. They're all just as much a Mob as La Cosa Nostra.
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On the...er, kinda bright side? In the US at least, the banks are getting their backs broken. Their greed sent real estate speculation out of control (as well as various other forms of speculation and usury--Congress is hammering banks' abuse of credit cards before that implodes like the real estate market did), and is partially responsible for the economic crunch everybody's descended into lately. Now the government is cutting loose on them to make sure they don't forget this lesson for at least another 50 years. As economic patterns seem to be fairly consistent across international boundaries, I hope other nations follow suit quickly, if they haven't yet.
(Truthfully, it's also partly Congress's fault, because several years ago, they decided the economy could support it so they repealed some of the laws that prevented such speculation, foolishly assuming that bankers would recognize the risks and be responsible about it.)