Owe your banker £1k you are at his mercy; owe him £1m the position is reversed (2019)

Quote variants and origins

• Multiple phrasings circulate: different currencies, thresholds, and wordings (“bank” vs “banker”, $1k vs $1M vs $1B+).
• Similar “scale inverts morality/power” aphorisms are referenced about war, murder, and heroism, with older literary precedents.
• Civilization games are noted as a popular source for the banking quote, even when attribution is questionable.
• Some commenters focus more on the general pattern: once an obligation is large enough, roles flip from debtor being weak to debtor having leverage.

Scale, inflation, and bank size

• Several argue that £1M or $1M is far too small today; modern large banks barely notice such exposures.
• Others stress it’s relative: power flips only when a debtor’s obligation is big compared to the lender’s size or concentration of risk.
• Inflation-adjusted numbers are provided for 1945 vs today, showing thresholds rising into tens of millions or more.
• Consolidation of banking is discussed: assets and customer accounts concentrated in a few “too big to fail” institutions, though small/community banks and credit unions still operate.

Historical and geopolitical parallels

• Julius Caesar’s heavy debts allegedly forced creditors to support his political rise, as their fortunes depended on his success.
• WWII and postwar finance: British wartime borrowing and US lend‑lease/loans are cited as huge debts that shaped postwar arrangements; the UK only finished repaying some loans decades later.
• The Greek debt crisis is debated: one side emphasizes government overspending and book-cooking; another stresses that most bailout funds actually rescued foreign banks and that lenders knowingly took risk.
• US sovereign debt: some argue the US seeks widespread foreign holdings of its debt, and can always print dollars; others note inflation would be a de facto default with serious consequences.

Mortgages, recourse, and crisis mechanics

• Examples show banks extending more credit or restructuring when foreclosure would crystallize big losses (“extend and pretend”).
• US mortgage law differences (recourse vs non‑recourse) and foreclosure practices are discussed, with nuance about how often deficiencies are actually collected.
• Programs during the 2008 crisis are criticized as primarily designed to slow bank losses rather than truly aid homeowners.

Language and personal banking

• “Your banker” is seen as reflecting earlier eras when individuals had personal relationships with bank managers.
• Today, most people say “the bank,” except for higher‑net‑worth clients with dedicated contacts; even then, the relationship is far less personal than mid‑20th‑century banking.