Just feeling really pissed off about the rampant corruption in what are supposed to pass as bona fide businesses and institutions. In the last few day we have had Barclays (and probably all the other banks) fixing the Libor rate. A few days ago, FIFA admitted that senior Brazilians (tip of the iceberg reaching to the very top if you ask me) received millions of kickbacks for years. Wonder why the next Mundial is in Brazil eh? And today HSBC admits they're been money laundering billions from Iran, Syria, Mexico etc. And what retribution might these people expect? Nothing. A couple will lose jobs and retire on their ill-gotten millions. Nice. Stick me down for that. In the case of FIFA, there will be no retribution at all. Not even much wringing of hands. The media buried the story without trace. No one cares. The Nigerian modus operandi is alive and well in the developed world. Sure we have all been a bit pissed off with bankers, but the stories get worse and worse and despite the country now owning large hunks of banks, no one is doing anything. No one is going to do anything. Corruption and stealing is now considered a fair way to earn your bijou flat in Chelsea. Probably why everyone else has to live in the scuzzy bits of London (and there are many). if you can get away with it, good on you. If you're too dumb to steal - you're a fool. As the Clash had it: "Cheat cheat / No reason to be fair / Cheat cheat / Or don't get anywhere."
Yep, the world is run by elites for elites, the little people are there just to pick up the bill. Take a look at The Triumph of the Political Class: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Oborne: Books for a look at how the political class has become the new ruling elite in the UK, similarly the unelected EU Commission has taken over Europe. And don't get me started on 'independent' bodies. Bit of a cynical conclusion though Glidd.
Nah. I don't do the cheating. I seem to be physically incapable of it. I'd sooner be able to look myself in the mirror and be a fool.
One persons cheating is anothers stretching the rules/truth Every walk of life, from the cleaner who takes a few cloths home to the govt who change laws to appease their backers Was always thus
What I find irritating are the billions we (the government) spend in foreign aid that gets diverted into the pockets of the people running the country's in receipt of foreign aid, these country's can still spend millions on weapons but cannot provide food and healthcare for the people in need.
If you saw the strings attached to 'foreign aid' you may switch your anger back on the 'donating' countries ...... almost every $/£ has to be matched by the recipient and even then can only be spent on goods/services originating from the donating country .... hence most goes on weapons/training as that's about all we do make these days!
I really wanted to reply to this thread with a positive response but there is nothing. The human race has been weighed, measured and found to be wanting my friends.
This has always upset me too Catweazle. Let me run a scenario past you.... purely hypothetically... If I was being cynical I could imagine a policy where arming the locals might lead to foreign and civil wars. This would weaken them and their populations making them more compliant and also reducing the amount of food/water/resources they will need in the future. In oil rich countries, this could make it easier to go and 'manage' those supplies for them. And as we're the 'great provider' in their time of need, obviously we would get mates rates on any resources/influence/access available in the future. Just a thought
I strongly suspect that that is one consideration. The other thing to bear in mind with "aid" is what it's actually buying. You tend to imagine it as Jumbo jets full of free goodies like food parcels and water treatment centres and vaccination drugs. The reality, from what I have read, is that it actually goes, in the case of the US, to pay the massive salaries of US personnel who are sent to the fly-blown countries as "advisors", technicians and trainers. They could train up local people for many of the jobs, but it's better for the States if their aid comes back to them. So you think they've given a $bn away, but in fact, they have just spent it on themselves. At best, it will be on American goods which all boosts the US economy. There really is no such thing as a free lunch. Look at all the aid to Afghanistan. If you parcelled that out in banknotes to each inhabitant they'd all be rich (until rampant inflation took hold). But it's better if you give it to Halliburton and then call it aid.
The thing is, it's not just the uber-wealthy, everyone's at it. I've lost count of the number of suppliers who, with a nod & a wink, want to sort me out 'something for yourself'. Now, I'm all for a nice lunch at the end of a successful venture but the offer of 'sweeteners' put me right off a supplier.
Its all the little sips that are taken by officials that bring it total disrepute, how much of each £ $ actually gets to the person in need?
As a supplier to many blue chip clients and can tell you that alot of them expect "something for themselfs". I refuse to do business that way and I have lost out on numerous occasions because I wont offer "sweetners". Give value for money and produce a good standard of work end of.
It's a graft culture. In the 70s while at school, I used to work evenings and Sundays in a garage, filling cars (remember that?). One bloke used to come in every week and fill his car on the firm's account: "Put in a couple of gallons and have half a gallon for yourself", he used to say, and then signed for 2 and a half gallons (they were a car delivery service). I never took the half gallon which wasn't his to give. One day the owner came in and gave me a monster tip - and I was very glad that I hadn't been swindling him for months. Suppose the garage was benefitting, but at least it wasn't me. As for all the £5 (yes...) VAT receipts : "Make it out for a tenner, mate". I didn't do that either - used to piss people off.
off topic Shell are re-introducing them Shell re-introduces petrol pump attendants, recruits staff at 300 forecourts ¿ and they will even check your tyres | Mail Online i think the whole world is at it. it seemed to come to light here with the Polititions expenses scandal. Now they are all holier than thou and are the actual ones holding "comittees" investigating the corrupt bankers. You couldnt make it up.
Whenever corruption, incompetence or criminality are uncovered in Britain, and discussed in the media and in Parliament I am greatly reassured. It is those countries where corruption etc are never uncovered and never discussed that have the real problems. Human nature remains much the same, and overall ethical standards rise only slowly.
It is called controled exposure. If here they tried to keep everything a secret sooner or later someone would make a mistake and who is to say it would be relating to something minor, it could be big. If you feed the press with small scandals and blow them up. Then one time every 15y a medium "slip-up" that will run investigation for ages keeps the press fighting for info. Look at expenses scandal it took Olympics of front page. Now Olympic G4S is news after few allegations of corruption regarding Olympics started to surface so press has something minor to talk about. However no more news of selling tickets illegally, selling access to Olympic lanes, the dirty and unfair sponsorship deal's. I mean at Olympic events you can only pay using visa and only buy McDonald's and coke....
That could be a whole new thread. Endless junketing and construction contracts worth billions all subsidised by the taxpayer.
I suggest one or two posters should do some research into the UK Bribery Act, it is even more draconian and far reaching than the US Foreign and Corrupt Practices Act. The UK Bribery Act
