Flip-side

It is an odd feeling when one finds themselves agreeing with the chairman of Germany's Social Democrats:

Franz Müntefering, chairman of Germany’s Social Democrats, hit out against bankers on Sunday, describing them as "gangsters" and a threat to democracy, amid discussions over ways to step up support to the country’s ailing banks.

"Most of the bankers are competent and responsible, but there are also some beatniks, pyromaniacs and gangsters," he said in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

"Some have lost track of what they were doing. Others risked everything. And further bankers have lined their pockets. This is a burden for democracy," said Mr Müntefering, famous for branding financial investors as "locusts" in 2005.

Now, will the chairman agree that the very same comments hold true for many politicians, government officials, and trade unionists? Or, would that be missing the point?