The Week-end Economist: Imposter Edition.
Since it hasn't been started yet, for unknown reasons, I'll take it upon myself to get things rolling. I hope all is well with our regular hosts.
And to get the discussion started, well pick a light hearted subject we're all familiar with.
CORRUPTION.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/17/beyond-bribery-corruption/
Beyond Bribery
It’s time to start fighting the most insidious form of corruption -- the kind that’s legal.
By Janine R. Wedel
February 17, 2015 - 3:35 pm
Last month Greeks delivered a sharp blow to the European Union by voting in the left-wing Syriza Party, which has vowed to end years of painful austerity policies. But Syriza owes much of its popularity for its opposition to something else: elite corruption. As one news report put it, “Many in Greece feel slashed public spending has hit the most vulnerable hardest, while leaving… corruption of the apparent elites untouched.”
This sense that something on high smells bad has galvanized protesters in recent years in countries as different as Brazil, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States. They seem to share an intuitive sense that the system is gamed against them, that it compromises their livelihoods and futures, and that it makes it harder to have their voices heard, let alone discover who is responsible. (The photo shows Occupy Wall Street protesters in Chicago on the eve of the May 2012 NATO summit.)
Petty corruption, such as having to pay a bribe to a bureaucrat or customs official, also leads to discontent around the world. Some scholars call this “need corruption,” because it is driven by everyday people trying to navigate an impossible system to receive basic goods and services. And since corruption became a “hot” issue in the 1990s, global efforts to combat it have concentrated largely on this need corruption, with major players like the World Bank and Transparency International at the forefront.
(snip) much more at link.
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The most insidious form of bribery and corruption is legal, after-the-fact, jobs, favors, SPEAKING FEES, book deals, and others that are hard to prove.
This form of corruption kills any confidence or trust in government, and society as a whole. John Kasich left Congress for a job? at an investment bank, as did Jeb Bush, and that little rat-faced fucker from Virginia (I can't even remember his name). Certain politicians collect millions in "speaking fees" from the biggest corruptors on the planet. It's not highly visible, but that's the way our system of crony capitalism works. Ferdinand Marcos was a piker compared to some of our own.
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Have at it, I'll stop back tonight.
= new reply since forum marked as read
