mbassoc2003 wrote:Corporate greed in the US is not directly related to judicial or police corruption ...

Actually, it is. Our politicians by and large do not write laws any longer. Corporate lawyers do. It's pretty easy to tell who wrote what. If it is a couple of paragraphs, a congressman wrote it. If it is 1,000 pages of loopholes, corporate interests wrote it.

Completely unlawful, but corruption works that way.

Anyone who wants to see how is should be done would be advised to look up the debates on the U.S. Constitution (not the Federalist/anti-Federalist) and subsequent laws passed shortly thereafter. Madison's notes can be found in a book called The Formation of the United States if you can find a copy. The GPO hasn't printed any copies since 1964... that magical year.

Oh yeah, then you get the judges who retire and go to work for the same companies they rule in favor of.

SimperingToad wrote:Actually, it is. Our politicians by and large do not write laws any longer. Corporate lawyers do.

While I am sure this is the case in many situations, it is the not the only source. Unions and lobbyists (political) are also huge sources of legislation. Take, um, I don't know, the Obamacare bill. 2,000+pages and it needed to be passed before anyone could actually read and digest the thing. Sure, big pharma had a hand is certain provisions, but you can bet they were doing things with a gun to their heads.

Meanwhile, "big oil" wants a new pipeline, but no deal. We need more time...say after the election, to pass any legislation regarding it. Funny how corporations have so much power.

I'd have thought the US constitution fascilitated the correction of corrupt gavernment structures far more easily than in other countries. But then that requires the majority of people to rise out of apethy. Majority rule in a democracy, and if the majority couldn't give a F, then they select the status quo. So long as they get a little taste of the greed, the majority of folks the world over can be trusted to STFU.

Well, there's the difference between the US and the UK in a nutshell, then. In the UK, the only thing you can pretty much depend upon is that nothing really changes. Doesn't matter who the country elects, the public don't ever learn how to not F eachother over while chasing their own self-interests. So there is a constant to-ing and fro-ing between groups screwing eachother to line their own pockets, allt he time, those being screwed believe they are righteous and would never do anything wrong and have never screwed over anyone in their lives. Right now it's the Public Sector's turn to take it in the ass, but ten years ago they were giving the Private Sector a pounding, and everyone whines about not receiving their fare share of the greed quota and god given entitlements. For the most part though, it's what being Brittish is all about. Gotta have something to whine about. Gotta feel like your being screwed by someone. The only way the Brittish public are happy is when they're unhappy. The issues of money and power in the UK are the same as they were 20 years ago, and they'll be the same 20 years from now. And the Brits will do nothing about it. There's something almost Russian about the attitude Britts have to politics. An unhappy apethy and helplessness coupled with a good measure of contempt for those of other classes.

Christmas with style... :

How to make your own Dungeons & Dragons chocolate dice mold...

Link

Mars wrote:
Isn't this what caused the whole economic collapse?  All the top end economists lobbied for deregulation of all the economic rules, to the point where you could bet (invest) in just about anything without any protection?

Not exactly. The liberals decided that everyone who wanted a home should be able to get a mortgage to buy one, regardless of their ability to actually pay for it. Banks were forced to participate or else. They were still complicit, but there it is. This caused the housing collapse which has decimated the economy. Combine that with greed on Wall Street and we are screwed.

SimperingToad wrote:You wouldn't believe the propaganda thrown at us.

In fact, I am staggered at the torrent of propaganda you guys are fed day in day out buy your media, your school system, and your government. It takes an exceptional level of intelligence, curiosity and determination, it would appear, to break free of the level of BS the average guy in the street is brought up to believe. Gladly the UK is only tainted with that flaw. It does not run throughout the entire society in the UK.

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:Yeah, a stroke of luck, that.

Or just a result of society's apethy not progressing us along the track of capitalism as fast as other countries. (In the UK) It's hard for the middle classes to believe anything that requires them to park their arses somewhere other than their selected fences.

ExTSR wrote:Interesting; I don't think I've ever seen a thread locked before, unless it was a spammer.

I was just thinking the same thing. My understanding was that the forum was self-policing (i.e., moderator free). Not that the thread in question was headed to a good place.