Juvenile talk of smug bankers is hardly shocking

The furore over the private rantings of banking buffoons, and how this might play with our German friends, is difficult to believe, even to someone accustomed to the hypocrisy we do so well in Ireland.

God help us, but our President felt compelled to leap to the nation’s defence and assure Europe this was all “in the past”, implying that the over-paid banking geniuses we have now are different.

Let’s be honest. Drumm and Co were part of the golden circle that prevails in every state. These eejits were considered by the media and political class as the elite, the cream of Irish society. Therefore, there should be nothing shocking about juvenile outpourings from colossally remunerated financiers drugged up on power and privilege. As for the Germans, it was their banking system that provided the fuel for the feeding frenzy indulged by Anglo, and others, and which finally landed us all in the smelly stuff.