Throwing the Baby out with the Bath

I recently read William Cohan's "Why Wall Street Matters". It was a good explanation of all the good things banks do: finance governments, finance corporations; provide credit which is the grease that makes the economy run. It was all good stuff with one major problem.

His argument is that with all the negative press the banks garner everyone seems to forget all these good things that banks do.

Really?

Is there something inherent in banks that in order to do good they have to also be rife with immoral if not criminal behavior?

It's not that I'm expecting banks to be populated by saints. But I am puzzled by this idea that if you punish the bad bankers then the good one's won't be able to function.

Maybe Mr Cohan should spend less time praising bankers for doing what they are supposed to do and come down a bit heavier on those bankers who knowingly abuse their knowledge and position to game the system in a 'heads they win tails we lose' casino.

That might have been Bernie Sanders point.....