Let the banks to fall!

We achieve a point where the consumer (the client) no more knows which taxes/fees he is paying. Economists have their own language and people are unable to learn it because they are busy earning some money to eat and a big slice for bank fees. We no longer have access to our own money (bank account) without paying to see it! Paying money to see our money! Curious...

This letter was addressed to a Portuguese bank and reflects well this absurdity:

Dear Sirs,

I would like to know if you would accept to pay a small monthly fee for the existence of this bakery, located near your bank; or for the existence of the petrol station or the pharmacy or the kiosk, all indispensable for our daily routine.

It would work in this way: all clients would pay a small fee to maintain these services (bakery, pharmacy, kiosk, mechanic, grocery store). A fee that would not guarantee any extra right to the client. It would be used only in the maintenance of a high quality service and to amortize investments. What do you think?

Well, yesterday I got out of your bank sure that you Sirs would agree with such fees. For a reason of equity and honesty. My certainty derives from a simple chain of thoughts.

Let us imagine the following situation: I go to this bakery to buy some bread. The baker complies with kindness, sells me the bread and charges me a fee to pack the bread. Besides he imposes fees for "accessing the bread", "storing the bread", and even a fee for "having the bakery opened". Everything fulfilled with cordiality and professionalism, of course.(...)

Do you want some enlightenment?

- fee to open credit = fee to access the bread
- fee to open bank account = fee to open the bakery store
- fee to see your bank account = fee to the existence of the bakery store
- fee to maintain a special limit of funding (every trimester, no advantages) = fee to keep the bread warm
- fee in any account money transfer = should I pay to breath the air of your facilities?!

(...)After I payed all the taxes maybe you would answer, always with such cordiality and professionalism, that a bank service is quite different from a bakery store. That your responsibility is much bigger, that there are many legal requirements, that the business risk is huge, etc, etc. That besides being profoundly sorry about this situation, you cannot do anything, because you are not inflicting the law. I know that. I also know that you are covered by some special legal advantages that protect your business from any disturbance. I presume a bakery store does not have as much risk and also that does not count with the influence power that you Sirs have.

I know that everything you do is within the law, but I also know that it is immoral.

Imagine now that you do not just laugh with this adapted letter, but that we really do it. That we start fighting for special benefits (introduction of stupid fees) in every single private branch. Companies from which people depend on their daily activities... On the other hand, should we all go to jail for trying to rise up some morality and mutual help between people of this crazy world? Examples of success, of what is accepted as right in this society are corrupting the basic human principles and if we do not do something, these legal fees might become a reality.

As a wise man said once, save your money under the mattress!