There goes civilisation...

Being a banker is not the only way to afford all the things you list.

I think banker-bashing is unnecessary, but can't help my natural reaction, which is to not feel too sorry for people who have chosen a career with their eyes wide open.
My company makes financial software, and the downturn will affect us too. We have just had 30% redundancies in the UK, coupled with 100% growth in Asia. It is sad for those people.. families.. affected.
Mrsmith has made some very harsh comments in this thread, but there are nuggets of truth in there too.. :-)
Don't live in debt. Don't be blinkered by promises of a stable career, respectable profession, etc.. Don't be a cunt.

I agree with most of things you said.

I'm not shedding any tears for the bankers who've lost their jobs. I'm sympathetic to some extent, but anyone working in finance should know that it's entirely man-made, highly volatile, and at the mercy of market perceptions, however incorrect. I may be out of a job soon, but I'm not shedding any tears for myself either... I could've become a doctor, but I made a conscious decision not to. If I lose my job, I'll just have to dust myself off and figure out something else to do. It won't be easy, because there will be thousands and thousands of other people just like me. But hey, that's life.