[gerryhoulihan]

Why do politicians of every party when in power give so much support to fat cats, i.e. bankers and CEOs etc in state run bodies etc give so much support to them, even at the expense of their own political careers? These people earn obscenely large salaries bonuses and perks. Often they are part time and hold many posts. They are frequently exposed as incompetent or dishonest/corrupt. They receive full backing from the PM and ministers. If one adopted a paranoid approach to understanding this, one would suspect that there is a small group of very powerful people at the top of society. The country is run for their benefit. They are secure and fully protected economically and can afford access to the best of services, health etc; the rest of us are drip-fed, targeted and taxed in a multitude of ways, some of which we don't even realise because we are too close to the trees to see the wood.

I have subcontracted to semi-state organisations. My work was closely monitored, results checked, invoicing carefully vetted, yet in the same organisation, at the top, money was splashed around liberally.

My son challenged a works contract carried out in a council run apartment complex. It consisted on totally unnecessary refurbishment of lifts. The lift manufacturers were passed over in favour of a local company. The lifts were trashed by this company, yet they were paid in full, plus extras, and another firm were called in to repair the damage.

My son, who had a law degree was entitled to view all paperwork, unearthed corruption, took the council to a tribunal. Amongst other things was the fact that the work was contracted out via a sealed bid competition. We examined the tenders (afterwards) and found that if the main tender (from the lift manufacturers) total was entered into a calculator, multiplied by -0.3%, the answer turned out to be the exact amount shown on the tender submitted by the company that were awarded the job-the exact amount down to the last £ (pence were not submitted on any of the tenders).

He was doing very well in the case, but accepted a private settlement from the council. This was because no other leaseholder or tenant would back him up and he spent weeks researching and had to present the case without any support.

The council stood by the contractor right the way through.

The above is just a small example of what I mean. I can understand dishonesty and corruption, I think it is part of the human condition. What I don't understand is why councils, organisation and even government give these people their full support. They must be either part of it or stupid, or incompetent. Is there a top level clandestine network, living away from our gaze, and going to enormous trouble to keeping a low profile?

[Stratmando]

I always wondered that myself, and if you don't vote your not patriotic. Probem is in previous elections have show the Majority of people were wrong.
I wondered if I was Elected to some Office, would I automatically lose my spine and fold.
I don't think so.
I know it sounds corney, I'm an American, and America would be my Special Interest.
Not Big Oil, Corporate giants, or a political party. I have done work for many politicians,
I install Fire and Security Systems and have to protect both Them and their Kids equally.
I don't say, we don't need to protect that baby, his parents are Republican or Democrat or whatever. I have to do my job well all the time, or the best I can.

[excon]

why do politicians of every party when in power give so much support to fat cats, ie bankers and CEOs???

Hello gerry:

Why?? Because corruption works, and he world is corrupt. It's only western nations where corruption is looked upon like you're looking upon it. Most of the world accepts it as a way of life.

No, it ain't a pretty picture.

excon

[gerryhoulihan]

Stratmando: hi, you refer to voting. When we vote, we are given a very tiny selection of individuals put forward by the two main political parties, plus one or maybe two struggling minor parties. In recent times one would despair at the calibre of politician offered for our selection. From such large populations, are these the best that the parties can come up with? These guys talents would probably be in their ability to curry favour within the party, be manipulative, qualities not necessarily associated with the job.

[gerryhoulihan]

Hi again excon,
I suppose you are right, corruption works. The politcal careers that are ruined by corruption are few, and the corruption/fat cats that come to our attention, are most likely only the tip of the iceberg.
I still think that there is a mechanism that provides for those people at the top, and that they are granted that privilege automatically, and the rest of us are outside this mechanism and the mechanism actively keeps us well clear of that golden circle. I just wondered what the nature of that mechanism is and who runs it.

[tomder55]

The truth is that it is human nature to not hold their elected leaders accountable... so long as they are delivering the goods . Just yesterday Representative John Murtha of Pa. said the following :

“If I'm corrupt, it's because I take care of my district”

Murtha has been reelected many times even though he ranks among the most corrupt contemptable members of the US Congress.

[tomder55]

Or as the founding fathers profoundly put it.

mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

[Stratmando]

Tomder55,
"Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

Are you sure Samual L Jackson didn't say that?

[galveston]

It has been known for more than 100 years that a relatively few families, world wide, have the riegns of finance firmly in hand.

They control the finance and don't care who writes the laws.

[tomder55]

Stratmando

Did Samuel L Jackson quote that as Morpheus ?

[Stratmando]

I was kidding, he did say this in Pulp fiction, forgive if I missquote:
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay
My vengeance upon thee.
Ezekiel 25:17 mixed with Revelations and The Lord is My Shepherd
Take Care

[tomder55]

OK thanks... just fyi if you don't already know... mine was a direct quote from the Declaration of Independence.