OWNED BY PARROT01

There was just a hint in Stephen Hester’s interview on this programme yesterday that the banking sector has finally run out of fig leaves. To his credit, the Royal Bank of Scotland boss certainly used honest language. He talked about remodelling the banking sector, cleaning up the problems of the past, making the bank safe and stronger through physical and cultural change. Their mission was, he said, to put the interests of 30 million customers first. Well, like many of you listening this morning the extent of the immorality affecting the banking sector bothers me intensely. But what can we do about it? James Martin, a scholar of new technology, talks more generally about challenges facing the structures of 21st century society and suggests we can move forward into the future by asking two interrelated and overlapping questions which might help us here. First, what is the right thing to do? And also, what is the most likely thing to happen? Protesting about the injustices and evil practises of some in the global banking sector might bring the effects of their actions to people’s attention, but protest doesn’t deal with the cause. A healthy banking system is an essential aspect of society. And its future in a democratic debate should include contributions from a wide range of disciplines including ethics. To address Martin’s two questions more specifically: the right thing to do is surely to start again and radically restructure the banking sector, but the most likely thing to happen is that, even though there are stones still unturned, some of Mr Hester’s rhetoric of yesterday might actually be applied. Any theological appraisal of the mess which affects significant parts of the banking system must begin with the notion that we have to live in an imperfect world. Whilst the love of money is referred to as the root of all evil, we all know what happens when roots take hold. But then human society is structured on the basis of work and effort being rewarded so that families can flourish. So where is the balance? How do you protect the innocent from avarice? In his book Secularisation, the theologian Edward Norman believes that the human race has been cajoled into a valueless and often clueless cul-de-sac where the poor become more vulnerable and the rich, well they just hope no one is looking. Everyone seems to agree that a fine balance now needs to be achieved through good stewardship right across the banking sector. This is a big moment for banks and bankers. Everyone is watching.

昨日的节目通过对斯蒂芬·赫斯特的采访做出了一点提示，银行业的遮羞布快用完了。值得称赞的是，苏格兰皇家银行的老板对此实话实说。他谈到了重建银行业，清除往日的残留问题，通过改变自然规律和银行业文化来使银行更加安全、牢固。他说，他们的任务是把三千万名顾客的利益放在首位。和你们中的许多人一样，当今早听到不道德行为干扰银行业时，我对其影响之广而深感忧虑。但我们又能做什么呢？詹姆斯·马丁是一位研究新技术的学者。他更加概括地谈论了21世纪社会结构所面临的挑战。他还建议，为了向未来迈进，我们应提出两点相互关联、相互重叠，并对我们有所帮助的问题。首先，我们应该做什么？其次，未来最有可能发生什么？抗议世界银行业中邪恶不公的做法可能会让世人注意到他们的行径，但抗议并不能解决问题。一个健康的银行体系是组成社会的重要要素。通过民主辩论，它在未来应该会受到包括道德在内的大量规范的正面影响。把马丁提出的两点问题更具体的陈述出来即为：我们要做的正确的事，就是应当再次开始从根本上重组银行业，但是最有可能发现的事就是，尽管有一些还未解决的问题，赫斯特先生昨日的花言巧语可能会被采纳。对影响银行体系的混乱局面做出的任何神学上的评价都必须一个观念为前提：我们不得不处于一个不完美的世界。既然把对金钱的热爱定义为罪恶之源，我们就都应知道当罪恶之源开始作用时会发生什么。但为了家庭兴旺，人类社会必须建立在工作并得到相应回报的基础上。那么我们应在哪里取得平衡呢？应该如何使纯真的人免受贪婪的侵害？在《世俗》一书中，神学家爱德华·诺曼认为人类已被哄骗着去接受一些毫无无价值的东西，而且经常被拐进死胡同，在那里穷人更易受到伤害，富人则希望避免引人注意。每个人似乎都同意通过在整个银行业设置称职的管理人员来达到平衡。这是银行和银行家们的重要的时刻，也是万众瞩目的一刻。