Battle lines

A strategy of growth from George Osborne, even if spiced with a bit of banker-bashing, will never be enough for the warriors of the anti-capitalism movement. On the contrary, they seek nothing less than an end to what they view as the iniquitous financial system which has brought world economies to their knees.

Never mind the fact that it is global capitalism that is providing for the families of these mostly well-heeled, middle-class protesters and giving them the time to indulge their fantasies of “democratising” the banking industry (which roughly seems to translate as heavy-handed state control). And never mind the fact that every system of state dictatorship has ended in failure if not disaster.

For now, at least, the protesters’ agenda strikes a chord with the public. The greed-fuelled mistakes of bankers have played into the hands of the anti-capitalist mob and, as a result, it is up to supporters of the free market to make the case for the defence ever more robustly.