G20 - Bankers lay bets on amount of protestors killed injured and arrested

[B Whale]

Source: Guardian

Two traders based in an office opposite RBS on Bishopsgate said they had walked across the City "to have a nice lunch and chill out". Sipping coffee after three courses and a few Marlboro Lights, they were angry that the police didn't seem to be making any arrests: "Its kicking off over in Bishopsgate", they said. "The demonstrators are goading the police and hitting them with sticks, but they are just letting them. They aren't arresting anyone."

And these two wanted to see the long arm of the law carting a few protesters away – because they had a financial interest in arrests. "I'll make money if they arrest more than 140", he said. Traders, he explained were putting spread bets on the number of arrests – with the quoted spread on Bloomberg at 130-140. They were also paying out on deaths and if more than 20 demonstrators are injured by horse charges


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/02/bankers-betting-protesters-g20

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A protestor did die, so there's now a banker who's better off because of his death. I how he spends his money wisely.

They're completely divorced from reality and humanity

[cali]

1. you can't get anymore vile than that.

fuck 'em.

[B Whale]

10. There was also a sign in one of the windows from the bankers

saying 'while you protest in the street we reposses your home'. Charming.

Protestors specifically stated they wouldn't be targeting bankers personally in this protest (no matter what the securiy organisations and media said)

I'm not sure they'll be as much restraint after the way they've behaved now.

[vadawg]

23. my issue is when people goe after individuals then complain when said individuals pay for hard ass

security to punch aforementioned individuals in the face. Personally if i was the banker and had threats against me then i would have top flight security to kick seven bells out of any protester who comes near me.

[B Whale]

25. No banker had any threats against them. In fact

the protest organisers (bar one loopy and marginal professor) stated specifically this wasn't about individual people, yet the bankers took it upon themselves to delibertaely wind up the crowd. They'vedestroyed the world economy, you'd think they'd show some humility.

And they didn't pay for the security it was the good ol' London police cracking skulls of innocent people.

The thread is about the bankers laying bets as to how many protestors would be injured and killed. One was killed, i hope the guys that won money spend it wisely. I think that's sick you might not. I also think its our country in a microcosm. vacuous, greedy people with no values running it.

Where's our 'hard ass' security to protect us from their robbery and theft? Its the masses, these type of banksters have no morals, they think winning a few quid is more important than someone's life.

I'm not sure why your angry with peaceful protestors rather than theives who think its funny to bet on decent people being killed in the street by the police.

[ShortnFiery]

2. Into the FIRE!

[sasquatch]

3. Where's a skinhead when we need him?

[OhioChick]

4. This is sick. They can all fuck off. n/t

[B Whale]

9. Too much to hope for a bit of humility i suppose

but they really are sick fucks. That's what a system that worhips money leads to.

[rhett o rick]

5. So? We are outraged and disgusted, now what? nm

[vadawg]

6. you got to be joking, you think only rich bankers bet on shit like this

you never heard of dead pools, or celebrity stiffs. People will bet on the macabre all day long, its not confined to one group whether cultural or socioeconomic. Especially in the UK were betting is a way of life.

[Wednesdays]

15. So, that makes it okay?

:eyes:

[vadawg]

16. it makes it part and parcel of life, the brits have a more macabre sense of humour and betting

is a way of life for large portions of the society, so i wouldnt be surprised to hear the cops putting bets on the same stuff or the grannies down the WI. Its a cultural difference.

[B Whale]

19. That's not true mate. Betting is big, but this still sick

It shows how much money and extremist capitalism has corrupted the morals of this country

[Nihil]

21. Complete bollocks.

"betting is a way of life for large portions of the society"
"Its a cultural difference"
:eyes:

[vadawg]

22. what youve never seen the bookies on every street corner.

the number of people who bet on the nags, dogs, footie, golf etc. trust me when i say gambling is a national sport in the UK and people will bet on anything and are you telling me you never take bets with friends on wierd shit. YOu must live in the smallest village in the UK if you deont see a bookies and an off licence on every corner.

[B Whale]

26. I live in the UK and there are lots of bookies

since the deregulation of the market, however betting is no larger here than anywhere else and is not in any way a national culture. Complete nonsense.

And this in no way gets away from the fact that bankers were betting on innocent people being killed. Its sick sick sick, i'm surprised you don't think so.

[Nihil]

40. That's because there are no "bookies on every street corner" and you are talking crap.

There are bookies around in most towns (same as there are off licences
around) but that is worlds apart from what you are claiming.

> trust me when i say gambling is a national sport in the UK

I have now learned to trust absolutely zero of what you post.
:eyes:

> are you telling me you never take bets with friends on wierd shit

The only people I see who regularly bet on weird shit are the scum
in the city who have more money than they can use ... the same bastards
who are in the OP article ... *They* are the scum who run "dead pools"
and other shit because their whole life is built around betting on
"weird shit" (learn about trading sometime). Strangely enough, the
other group that will "bet" on anything are the drunken addled drop-outs
slurring between themselves while they wait for the church shelters
to open in the morning ... ironic how it's the richest and the poorest
in society who share the same interests ...


> YOu must live in the smallest village in the UK if you deont see a
> bookies and an off licence on every corner.

153,000 in the borough (83,000 in the town centre).
Might be a "village" in US terms but it's not in the UK.

FWIW, I work in London (also not a "village") and, even there,
you are still exaggerating worse than any ignorant schoolkid
trying to impress the older boys ...

Just admit it: You're wrong, those turds making those bets are wrong
and there is no possible "justification" that you are going to be
able to make to defend your adopted "mates".

[Odin2005]

18. I'll take bets on these wanker bankers (banksters?) ending up on the end of a rope.

[Downtown Hound]

29. No, but bankers right now have been collecting hundreds of billions

of dollars of OUR FUCKING MONEY because they don't know how to do business. And now they're pulling shit like this? Hoo boy, feel the blood pressure rise.

[nichomachus]

7. An easy explanation

A friend of mine (American) is working temporarily in London and part of his job is to visit doctors and get to know them.

One told him last week that he has a number of patients who are bankers and they are all heavily into cocaine. Apparently, it's the only way they can keep up the hectic pace of the industry. He told my friend that his physician colleagues tell him it's widespread.

[Downwinder]

8. DERIVATIVES

of humans.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. Our society in microcosm. n/t

[glitch]

13. I was trying to think of a name vile enough for these creatures and all I could picture

was the scum I cleaned out of the bottom of my refrigerator yesterday.

[malaise]

34. Just call them Maggie Thatcher's children

greedy, soulless, vacuous fuckers.

[DLnyc]

14. What's the odds that these perverts are gonna be shit out of luck, once the

giant Ponzi scheme they've been feeding off pops?

[B Whale]

20. problem is they're still rich so will be

fine.

They were also holding up placards saying "while you're protesting on the streets, we're repossessing your homes"

[Odin2005]

17. Total complete assholes. Words fail me...

:puke:

[barbtries]

24. they are completely disgusting.

thanks for posting.

[Canuckistanian]

27. THIS is the real 'class warfare'

We've just had a rare glimpse of what they REALLY think about all day.

[Downtown Hound]

28. I've always been reluctant to support the anarchist tactic of smashing

corporate windows. But these fuckers make me think that not only was I wrong, the anarchists don't go far enough. Fucking inhuman slobs.

[B Whale]

30. It really shows what's important to these pigs and

why we are in such a mess. They are fanatically obsessed with money and have no values or morals. This has perculated down to society at large in many ways.

And all the TV focusses on is smashing up RBS bank.

That's not mindless violence its righteous fury

[ljm2002]

31. Just in case anyone was wondering...

...whether the elite classes have entered into Marie Antoinette territory yet, there's your answer.

Just for the record.

[tama]

32. To quote a financial analyst

by the name Max Keyser: decapitation.

[ljm2002]

35. Yes indeed...

...IIRC, the full quote was something like, "...they need to see consequences, and I do not rule out decapitation!" It was especially enjoyable watching him say this to the French professor he was debating, who was defending the bankers -- I'm sure the historical reference was not lost on him...

[Karenina]

41. Max Keiser on "DECAPITATION"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSAeldJ1SYw

[B Whale]

36. There was also a banner sayiing

'While you march in the streets we are repossessing your homes"

The organisers of the march stated categorically prior to the protests that bankers personally were not the target for anyone. I think this may change after their disgusting behaviour.

Too much for a bit of humility...?

[malaise]

33. They are the genuine scum of the earth

I saw a report that some staffers at Bank of Scotland were waving 20 pound notes at protesters hoping to wind them up. Any bets they gambled on death and injuries. :puke:

[LeftishBrit]

37. Sick bastards

[undergroundpanther]

38. They are addicted

Gambling addicted sociopaths.
They should be in jail.

[BreweryYardRat]

39. I would be very surprised if these weren't the top-level execs.

Mind you, I'm speaking from an American perspective here.

Most regular bank employees and even local executives (i.e. handling such-and-such a department for one or two cities, or running a local branch) would have more common decency -- and I've met plenty of the folks I'm talking about, so I'm not just spouting off without a clue.

But it seems like the guys at the very top are mostly assholes.

Wonder how bankers outside of London are acting?