The Glorious 12th? Regulators in tweeds?

With all the focus, quite correctly, being on the Olympics, I have heard no mention of the "glorious 12th". In the UK this is the opening of the grouse shooting season, predominantly, but not solely enjoyed in the North of England and Scotland.

This was a key part of the social calendar in the past coming after Wimbledon and Henley and at a time when the wealthy retired to their country estates. More recently it has been part of the corporate entertainment armoury and a way of generating income for those estates.

I have never been grouse shooting, but can explain some elements. The grouse is a "game" bird, suitable for shooting and eating. They live and breed on moors and hillsides and tend to live on the ground. Beating ie a line of men advancing in a line, making a noise and bashing the undergrowth with sticks, frightens the birds who pop up for a lowe trajectory flight in their attempts to escape the disruption. The beating actually drives the grouse towards the "guns", men standing in small half enclosures and armed with shotguns ready to shoot the any birds they see.

It is incredibly hard work (not) as the guns stand still, frequently have a "man" to reload their gun and a dog who will run out an retreive and dead or injured birds. This leaves the guns to stand still, shoot and enjoy the fine food and drink that may be in baskets nearby or set up in an accessible spot.

So why am I talking about this now. Well I saw yesterday the $340m settlement I saw that Standard Chartered Bank has agreed with the New York State Department of Financial Services. Without commenting on the guilt or innocence of this bank or any others, it seems to now be "open season" on Banks and by dint of association other financial service organisations. By this I mean that a "regulator" can beat the terrain by announcing investigations, that have such a  damaging effect on the institutions and individuals involved that they are then easy game, coughing up enormous fines after they have assessed the cost of their options and finding none of them attractive. Even if they were to be eventually cleared, it would take a long time and leave a stain, no matter what declarations are made.

So now I have this image of regulators dressed in tweeds (for camouflage) carrying double barrelled shotguns and looking for the next fat bird that lifts its head up.

Now I know I am gneralising and many/most people in the regulators are hard working conscientious people, but it is the minority of super-ambitious, over zealous individuals building a bad reputation for others.

Where have I heard that before? Can they really be mimicing the bankers thay are currently villifying?