Re: What a strange world we live in.
I live & work in a world where the laws that you and I are required to live by don't exist for the privileged few. Laws against corruption at the highest level don't exist as we know them in the States.
If these companies were not listed on the stock exchanges in America, they would have absolutely no fear of retribution for the criminal activities they commit with their customers & shareholders money. Their employees, you and me, are little more than pawns.
The fact that they do this is no surprise, as was mentioned earlier, that our government officials are so closely connected to these people is also not new, but yet it is what disturbs me most.
People around the world hold Americans to a higher standard than they do themselves. Our system was for decades a goal for them to strive for, a role model so to speak. Slowly our system as seen by them, is becoming the cause of the problem, not a solution. They are increasingly looking to China and Russia for new examples as to how to successfully run a country.
For me, sad and scary at the same time.
Why do I care, because as a member of the American Expat community overseas I am continually approached/confronted with this seemingly double standard we live by in the States. How can we on the one hand, expect them to believe we have the better system. We court the criminals at the very top of the system, while on the other hand ignoring the plight of the working middle and lowers class.
In Germany 2% of the criminals account for 70% of the monetary damage to society.
These aren't those that we all fear, those shown nightly in the news invading our houses. They are those invading our bank accounts and work places. They are those running the worlds largest institutions, and those connected closest to our government officials.
It is “white collar” crime they commit, and these criminals wear suites & ties, and for the most part are well respected in the communities where they live. They have next to no fear of being convicted because of their connections, and in the few cases that make it to court, if they are convicted, the punishment handed down are so light, that it amounts to little more than a slap on the wrist.
The profits earned from these crimes is so great, that even if they are prosecuted, their lives will change little after the fact. Often they will receive new positions paying more than those they had before. Just good businessmen and women treated unfairly by those they paid to look the other way.
I am continually amazed by how many of those that are negatively affected by these peoples actions, will defend them. Those that are also involved at the top level just laugh and say they were dumb & got caught. No defense is heard from them.
Ignorance of the crimes at the top is bliss. Is speaking openly about a corrupt system, gossip mongering? Depends on what side of the situation you stand.
Does this post belong on a boat forum? Absolutely not!
I am involved in another forum for this purpose.
I apologizes for putting it here in the first place. Won't happen again.
If a Moderator could be so kind and close the thread, perhaps we could all go back to the pleasures and frustrations of finding new ways to fill that hole in the water we call boating.
Cheers & happy boating from a still grey and rainy Germany.
