Et tu Gordon?

This will be an interesting test to discover just how much influence Goldman has. These are very non linear times for them in the sense that international pressure and multiple (both civil and criminal) lawsuits can paralyze any firm, especially one that relies on connectivity to global capital flows as its primary business model.

So this is no time to be circumspect, as the vultures are circling. It would be interesting to determine the total UK tax levy Goldman has paid. All the benefits Goldman gave to the UK exchequer are now moot. It will remain to be seen whether or not this is an exercise in political cover or if something is structurally changing with respect to governmental emotional orientation towards investment banks. I say this because the false ignorance demonstrated in the below quote from Mr. Brown regarding bank business practices betrays a more sinister and populistic motive...coincidentally on the heels of a terrible debate performance against mssrs. Clegg and Cameron.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown today called for the Financial Services Authority to start an investigation, saying he was “shocked” at the “moral bankruptcy” indicated in the suit. Germany’s financial regulator, Bafin, asked the SEC for details on the suit, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said.