FarePrats

Yes, yes, yes, poor little poor people swindled out of their Crimbo savings by nasty company and their fat-cat bank now what are the little mites going to eat for Xmas dinner cue footage of upset looking bairns clinging to mummys skirt whilst mummy looks anguished.

Bollocks. Look if you're stupid enough to stick your money into an unregulated savings vehicle with no backup then quite frankly you deserve everything you get. We have these wonderful things called "banks" and they will, surprisingly, let you pay money how often and whenever you want and when you come to take it out, which you can do at any time, you will find that they will give you back more than you put in. Even better they will not charge you one penny piece for this service! If you don't trust banks then you can save using a Credit Union (who'll even let you borrow money). If in 2006 you are too stupid, ill-disciplined or idle to open some sort of bank account then you are getting no sympathy and certainly not a bean from me - no matter how much little Duwaine and Chaveera's eyes well up with tears when a camera crew hoves into view.

What really sickens me though is the sight of politicians eager to show that they "care about the poor" by alternatively slagging off and whining at the banks to give money to the feckless fools caught up in the "crisis" (the only crisis here being the stupidity of Farepak's former clients). If they feel so bloody bad about it then why don't they take their noses out of the Whitehall trough for a few moments and donate that month's expenses to "the cause". The spineless banks and retailers are nearly as bad and most have given something - hang on a moment chaps, I own shares in at least two of you and that is my dividend you are piddling up the wall.

Look, if you reward stupidity how do you expect people to get smarter? Choices have consequences - or they should have - but it seems that these days, they don't... in debt, can't pay... don't worry you you don't need to