Corruption

[precious007]

I'm not a very big fan of politics and never will be though I am aware of what's going on around here in pretty much all west european countries...

I was wondering how far does the corruption go in other parts of the World ... it's getting impossible in Europe and there's not many that can do anything about it... since some states joined EU the corruption got even worse than before.

I mean there's even doctors prescribing medication to ATTENTION ... "dead people" ... just to re-sell it in the backend in other European countries in the blackmarkets... the list is just endless....

[RobsanX]

It just the free market at work.

[precious007]

It just the free market at work.

It must be stopped at least partially, it's only pulling the whole nation down I mean it just can't be at such high levels

[BadAxe]

All gov't's are the same, doesn't matter what they are called, communist, democracy, etc... They are all identical, and all corrupt. There is no a gov't in the world that doesn't operate with the sole motive of $$$. $$$ is corruption, and as long as the world revolves around money, it will be as it always has been, corrupt, and uncaring. I laugh when I see intelligent people argue over either being a democrat or a republican (here in the US), like it really matters. It truly is laughable in this day and age to see the bickering, when either side in power amounts to the exact same thing.

[precious007]

True I don't believe that democrats or republicans are less corrupt one from another....

But how far does this corruption go in the U.S .... it's everywhere seemingly in EU ...

You can get a higher bank credit for instance if you TIP the manager or the bank owner and so on .. it's sick

[sgreger1]

Trying to weave a nazi quote into this thread early:

Today's preparedness tip comes from the founder of the Gustapo and head of the Nazi Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring.

Göring: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.

Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.

Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

• In an interview with Gilbert in Göring's jail cell during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials (18 April 1946)

[Darwin]

As bad as corruption may be in the U.S. in much of the rest of the world it is far worse in large part because public "servants" are so poorly paid that a culture of corruption, i.e. payment for favors done, is simply inevitable. For instance the Indian proprietor of a local store swears that corruption in this country is trivial compared to his home country where virtually every one of the millions of public officials is on the take to one degree or another. Anecdotal evidence for sure but solid nevertheless since on a recent trip back home this guy said he was held up for many hundreds of dollars by a parade of customs officials and local police despite being an American citizen. Plus as bad as it may be here has anyone been anywhere south of our own border lately?

[Mykislt]

Trying to weave a nazi quote into this thread early:

Today's preparedness tip comes from the founder of the Gustapo and head of the Nazi Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring.

Göring: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.

Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.

Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

• In an interview with Gilbert in Göring's jail cell during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials (18 April 1946)

I love that quote.

but on corruption, I've noticed, that it is often so ingrained in some cultures, that it is natural behavior, and even expected/tolerated. I've seen this in Russia, and even in parts of my native Lithuania, people say to me "well what do you expect, he was in a position of power".
This is probably untrue for the west, because just recently in the UK a MP was actually JAILED for his corruption schemes, where in Lithuania, when corrupt officials are exposed, they often get away with it, relatively unscathed..

Although sgreger mentions the nazis, one of Adolf Hitlers good deeds was that he thwarted corruption, and indeed, probably only totalitarian rule could do that (proof that authoritarians couldn't: todays belarus, mussolinis italy).

[RobsanX]

A former powerful congressman was just sentenced to three years here for corruption.

[Snuts]

Talking about corruption? My country should be called Republic of Corruption instead of Portugal. You can count by the fingers of one hand the number of public assholes that are in jail or waiting to go to court.

It's everywhere: politics, big constrution contracts, banks, sports, everywhere It's our way of life.

Our politics, when they leave the office, they go to work to companies that they have made a lot of favours before. We are talking about millionaire contracts.

We are poor, with the lowest or one of the lowest incomes in the EU, where the diferences between rich and poor are outrageous, where the taxes are one of the highest in europe and now we are facing the fact that the IMF -- International Monetary Fund are coming.

There's no future here.

We are kind and a non-violent country. But most of our politicians and bankers deserve the same that happened to mussolini.

[truthwolf1]

Escaping the repeat of history for the first half of my life has been a blessing.

I dont think the next half is going to be cake walk anymore.

[sgreger1]

Talking about corruption? My country should be called Republic of Corruption instead of Portugal. You can count by the fingers of one hand the number of public assholes that are in jail or waiting to go to court.

It's everywhere: politics, big constrution contracts, banks, sports, everywhere It's our way of life.

Our politics, when they leave the office, they go to work to companies that they have made a lot of favours before. We are talking about millionaire contracts.

We are poor, with the lowest or one of the lowest incomes in the EU, where the diferences between rich and poor are outrageous, where the taxes are one of the highest in europe and now we are facing the fact that the IMF -- International Monetary Fund are coming.

There's no future here.

We are kind and a non-violent country. But most of our politicians and bankers deserve the same that happened to mussolini.

Wow, that sucks to hear. Luckily, we are almost exactly the same here (as far as the politicians working at corporations thing).

Here we have someone like, oh I dunno let's take the head of the TSA (airport security). After they retire, they end up becoming the CEO of a company that makes x-ray scanners for airports. Suddenly, all of our airports have scanners...


Or how about ex CEO's of goldman sachs becoming things like treasure secretaries, or what about someone who used to be the CEO of a defense contractor, who then becomes vice president, starts a war, and then gives hundreds of billions in no-bid contracts to his old company to re-build the shit we broke in said war.


Divide between rich and poor in America is expanding at an alarming rate, but for the most part our "middle class" is still pretty wealthy. We still all have big screen tv's, drive cars, eat good food, live in decent housing etc, it's not like some slum in argentina down here or something, but we are starting to feel it nowadays.

[precious007]

Here we have someone like, oh I dunno let's take the head of the TSA (airport security). After they retire, they end up becoming the CEO of a company that makes x-ray scanners for airports. Suddenly, all of our airports have scanners...

That's what I'm talking about ....

Pretty sad to hear that it's everywhere in the world... I mean almost everywhere.

Divide between rich and poor in America is expanding at an alarming rate, but for the most part our "middle class" is still pretty wealthy. We still all have big screen tv's, drive cars, eat good food, live in decent housing etc, it's not like some slum in argentina down here or something, but we are starting to feel it nowadays.

Apparently a lot of people are living well, but they are just sold to the bank for the next 30 - 50 years ... I mean that's no way to live... everyone's complaining about not having money and that's because of the huge debts that they don't afford in the first place....

[Premium Parrots]

Hell....even the leaders of SnusOn are corrupt.



just sayin

[precious007]

Hell....even the leaders of SnusOn are corrupt.



just sayin

lol

ok, can we discuss the price for 1000 cans (black market) =))