The slang expression ‘to get it’ we are told, comes from the Irish ‘an dtuigeann tu’ pronounced ‘a dig’n tu’, which means unsurprisingly ‘do you understand’. Many people do not understand the debate about good banks and bad banks, nor do they even try. They think that such things are way over their heads. Dangerous! These things will affect our lifes and that of our children for years to come; there is a big return on the investment effort of ‘getting our head’ around them. One cannot assume either, that our politicians ‘get it’ and can make the right decision on our behalf. They are after all, being advised by people who have an interest in the outcomes – the bankers, or by those who have been co-opted by bankers.
So for all of us who are struggling to make a judgement in this unfamiliar area, the Khan Academy steps in. Salman (Sal) Khan is currently working as an investment professional in California. He explains things so anyone could get it. Sal received his MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters in electrical engineering and computer science, a BS in electrical engineering and computer science, and a BS in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His site is the mother-load of tutorials for the mathmatically and scientifically challenged as well as for those looking for financial enlightenment.
His style is deceptively scatty and unrehearsed but he gets the idea across clearly and enthusiastically. Here are his YouTube tutorials on a possible solution to the US banking crisis – also very applicable to Ireland:- Possible Solution and More on the Solution. Watch and astound your friends…