When Bankers Were Good: BBC2 Tues 9pm

vivatifosi

TruckerT wrote: »

1) I wouldn't have said that those women were 'at the helm', they were simply under-employed, and used their spare time to spend the wealth of their husbands on 'good causes' - Elizabeth Fry's husband ws declared bankrupt (these days, he would probably have been bailed out...)

That's a bit unfair TruckerT. What about the Coutts woman who was at the helm, then left her fortune entirely to the youngest female family member? I'm not saying the banking profession was full of female "directors" then, just it's a shame that things haven't particularly moved on given that there were female movers and shakers back then.

TruckerT wrote: »

2) I don't recall much detail about 19th century levels of charity-giving. I was surprised by the generalisation

It was a very small bit at the end of the programme, I'd like to have heard more too.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

toby3000 wrote: »

Regarding modern bankers and whether they do or don't believe in Heaven;

Even if bankers had an unusually high level of religiousity, the simple fact is that modern Christians are MUCH less concerned with the after-life and much less likely to talk about it than they would have been in Victorian times. For mainstream Christians, Hell has receaded quietly into the background. People just aren't as concerned with the afterlife anymore (probably because death isn't as close at hand).

I bet there was a point Fred Goodwin was uninsurable.

TruckerT

vivatifosi wrote: »

What about the Coutts woman who was at the helm, then left her fortune entirely to the youngest female family member?QUOTE]

I found the Coutts bit of the programme a bit unexplained - she was never in charge of the bank, and she was the second consecutive generation to be left the fortune in unlikely circumstances - Hislop greatly enjoyed reeling off the long list of good causes which the Coutts lady gave money to, but she came over to me as a bit of a nutter...

The Peabody Estates were/are unique, however, and I was surprised there were no limks with, for example, Port Sunlight, and the 20th Century 'Garden Town' movement such as Letchworth and Welwyn

Company Housing/Tied cottages/Company Stores etc etc are hugely significant in the development of life as we know it, but how many companies continue to provide these facilities, except in regions of extreme working conditions

I know quite a few families in the Tring/Aylesbury/Leighton Buzzard area whose immediate ancestors benefitted from the establishment of the Rothschild dynasty, but none of them would want to go back to a similar regime

TruckerT

bendix

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

I'm guessing you didn't actually watch the program.

However, it is self evident that religeous belief in Victotian times as much greater than now. You could see this from church attendance (50%), literature, dominant morality at the time and the scale of charitable donations which had a religeous dimension or olbligation (accepting Mr Mumbles point that the state has usurped this through redistribute taxation starting with Lloyd George).

Unless bankers as a group are so special it would follow that faith has declined amongst them as well as the rest of the population.

There were also many businesses run and owned by Quakers (Lloyds, Barclays, Rowntree, Frys Clarks shoes etc) who took a leading role in many social campaigns (abolition of slavery and much more)

It would be a rarity these days for any company to identify itself as overtly religeous.

Diffilcult to educate anyone with a close mind though.

No. I didnt see the program as I no longer live in the UK.

So let me understand. We have now gone to a position that because modern life is less religious than in the 19th century, ipso facto, bankers must be less religious.

Well, yes, I accept that.

But it is a quantum leap away from Real1984's ludicrous original assertion that modern bankers don't believe in heaven. Why pick out bankers: why not just say, most people today don't believe in heaven?

There is another point where the logic is so weak as to be embarassing. Yes, there were numerous leading industrialists who did good works during that time, including bankers. Similarly, there were numerous who didn't, but they didn't have Ian Hislop making a program about them.

How is that any different from today?

bendix

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Nope he never even bothered watching. Hasn't got a clue about history. Just feels the need to biatch whilst still remaining an ignorant *anker.

By the way bendi. It is not my job to educate the thick only to point out the massive (& I mean massive) gaping holes in their education.

Watch the program & then comment back & you might have half a clue as to what you are talking about.

Jeez, all those years getting my Masters Degree in History was wasted, I see.

Some people learn by being critical and questioning facts, 1984. Others get their history in bite-size chunks on primetime tv.

I suspect the latter are those who are most likely to come out with trite truisms such as bankers don't believe in heaven. It's the confident certainty that I find so lovable.

John_Pierpoint

Hi Bendix,

Can you let me know how you hack into BBC TV programmes - I have a contact in USA who would like to obtain access but does not know how to fool the BBC system into thinking she is a licence payer.

John.

chewmylegoff

JP: all you need to do is post a couple of left wing socially inclusive posts on bbc website articles and hey presto, all the content previously reserved for uk residents only is unlocked.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Hi Bendix,

Can you let me know how you hack into BBC TV programmes - I have a contact in USA who would like to obtain access but does not know how to fool the BBC system into thinking she is a licence payer.

John.

I think the code: is w w w dot b b c dot co dot uk


Without spaces & replacing the dots with an actual .


PM me if you find my code above too difficult bendi.

Wheezy_2

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

I think the code: is w w w dot b b c dot co dot uk


Without spaces & replacing the dots with an actual .


PM me if you find my code above too difficult bendi.

Yes, but bendix and John Pierpoints' mate are outside the UK and BBC Iplayer only works on a UK IP address I believe.
I can't watch it at work either cos I'm on a US IP
Solution is to go through a proxy server with UK IP

purch

Or wait for it to be shown on BBC America or BBC World.

Of course that won't happen until after they have repeated each episode of Top Gear at least 20 times, but they may get to see it one day.