NORMAN Roper (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, May 25), makes a ludicrous attack on our bobbies.

He got one bit right – Europe is in a mess – but the reason, seemingly lost on him, is the financial crisis started with the sub-prime collapse in the US in 2008, followed, as is often the case, by the UK and other banking institutions.

So the poor old bobby is supposed to pay, like other public sector workers, teachers, dinner ladies and so on.

Just why are ordinary people expected to pay for capitalism’s failures?

Mr Roper may be shocked by a couple of interesting points. The richest 1,000 people in the UK made more than £150bn in the financial crisis, now that’s a take on ‘we’re all in it together’.

Why can’t this greedy group pay a little more?

If tax evasion and tax loopholes were closed and if this coalition Government stopped sacking tax collectors, we could put £120bn into the exchequer.

Do not replace useless Trident nuclear weapons and you’ll save more – not to mention billions we’ve spent on illegal, immoral and unwinnable wars.

Why do police, teachers or whoever, come under attack from the usual suspects when they are trying to protect their benefits – in this case pensions?

The capitalist system is defunct. We need a complete rethink.

Roosevelt got out of the 1930s’ recession by growth in the US economy, with a huge job surge, the same happened to the UK in 1945 when we were in bigger financial debt.

The bankers, who are the real villains in this, need not worry. They seem to have plenty of supporters.

We need more of our police, teachers, pensioners and all ordinary people to say ‘No, enough!’.

I’m afraid to say it is the likes of Mr Roper who need to “engage brain”, before writing – his phrase, not mine.

TIM SIRET, Millmoor Crescent, Eynsham