Banking appears be a bizarre industry that is too crucial to leave to market forces so governments throughout the world have to regulate them and look after them.

If banks are so important to us, perhaps they need to be taken over by the government. Just have it as another government department that takes deposits and loans money.

Or perhaps more justly, open up the markets. If people working at a bank make prudent decisions then they will prosper. If they make foolish decisions they will fail. Let the banks fail if they continue to make stupid decisions. Let banks charge whatever they like, loan to whoever they want. Reduce regulation. Reduce the rules. Open up the market and let people make and lose money.

Or just ban banks.

This mixed mode we have is good in some ways but as recent evidence has shown, banks increasingly need government assistance to survive. Where will this end? No bank should be "too big to fail". Propping up a bank that is too big to fail basically is a licence for the bankers to do whatever they like coz the good old taxpayers will bail them out.

Yes things are certainly tough out there in Oz bank world especially with captain feathersword (wayne Swan) waving his sword around at you in anger at you telling the banks customers to kick them where it hurts www.news.com.au/ .I see that Comm banks profit has surged again despite all this hardship and I called the ANZ this morning to see where my new card was that should have arrived a week ago so that I can give it to people like my mobile phone company so that it can be reconnected .They said they will look into it (and see if the person who sends the cards out still works there) and should be back to me some time tomorrow.