Government Corruption

[Maddog]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jun/20/oil-firm-led-by-tory-donor-investigated-over-alleged-bribes-in-nine-countries

I guess this belongs here

A multinational oil firm which was led by a major Conservative donor has been under investigation for allegedly paying million-pound bribes to secure contracts in nine countries.

The anti-corruption agency the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been examining allegedly suspicious payments made by the UK-based firm Petrofac.

The firm was headed by Ayman Asfari, who with his wife has donated almost £800,000 to the Conservative party in their personal capacity.

It appears that over a dozen governments accepted bribes to operate in their countries. Nothing new there. Corruption is rampant, especially as government wields power.

And UK officials took campaign contributions from the same company in a different form of a bribe. Mr Asfari screwed up by not donating to both major parties like smart corporate leaders do.

The UK is not the US - very few countries political systems are as openly corrupt as the US.

Whether that is better or worse than being covertly corrupt is a different question

Yeah, we keep pretty good records of who is buying who. Not that anyone cares if the team being bought is your team.

[Cactus Jack]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jun/20/oil-firm-led-by-tory-donor-investigated-over-alleged-bribes-in-nine-countries

I guess this belongs here

A multinational oil firm which was led by a major Conservative donor has been under investigation for allegedly paying million-pound bribes to secure contracts in nine countries.

The anti-corruption agency the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been examining allegedly suspicious payments made by the UK-based firm Petrofac.

The firm was headed by Ayman Asfari, who with his wife has donated almost £800,000 to the Conservative party in their personal capacity.

It appears that over a dozen governments accepted bribes to operate in their countries. Nothing new there. Corruption is rampant, especially as government wields power.

And UK officials took campaign contributions from the same company in a different form of a bribe. Mr Asfari screwed up by not donating to both major parties like smart corporate leaders do.

The UK is not the US - very few countries political systems are as openly corrupt as the US.

Whether that is better or worse than being covertly corrupt is a different question

Yeah, we keep pretty good records of who is buying who. Not that anyone cares if the team being bought is your team.

Not so much you don't - there's a hell of lot of Dark Money and most of it is going the GOP.

However Democrats aren't without sin - the Koch brothers are currently dictating how future elections are corrupted through their Democrat Joe Manchin

[Maddog]

There are sites where you can see the dark money moving around.

No one cares if it helps their team.

https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/basics

[Cactus Jack]

There are sites where you can see the dark money moving around.

No one cares if it helps their team.

https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/basics

That's not entirely true is it Maddog?

The bill currently being blocked is one that would do a lot to clean up American politics but it's being blocked by one Democrat and every Republican.

[Stooo]

UK Government corruption.

And here we are. Want to talk about US corruption? Start a thread please.

[Maddog]

UK Government corruption.

And here we are. Want to talk about US corruption? Start a thread please.

I was talking about governments in general being corrupt, and there being no reason to expect anything less from UK governments.

If you give an entity a great deal of power it will become corrupt. UK government has a great deal of power and control.

I believe one of those smart British guys that aren't around anymore said something to that affect.

[Cactus Jack]

UK Government corruption.

And here we are. Want to talk about US corruption? Start a thread please.

I was talking about governments in general being corrupt, and there being no reason to expect anything less from UK governments.

If you give an entity a great deal of power it will become corrupt. UK government has a great deal of power and control.

I believe one of those smart British guys that aren't around anymore said something to that affect.

All complex systems with human elements become corrupt and all such systems have a tendancy to, acting through officers and agents, protect themselves. That's what the Trump organisation is finding right now with officers acting for it willing to throw Jared, Ivanka and Don Jnr under the bus. A democracy in which all who are affected by government decisions are enfranchised ameliorates that effect to some extent.

[Maddog]

UK Government corruption.

And here we are. Want to talk about US corruption? Start a thread please.

I was talking about governments in general being corrupt, and there being no reason to expect anything less from UK governments.

If you give an entity a great deal of power it will become corrupt. UK government has a great deal of power and control.

I believe one of those smart British guys that aren't around anymore said something to that affect.

All complex systems with human elements become corrupt and all such systems have a tendancy to, acting through officers and agents, protect themselves. That's what the Trump organisation is finding right now with officers acting for it willing to throw Jared, Ivanka and Don Jnr under the bus. A democracy in which all who are affected by government decisions are enfranchised ameliorates that effect to some extent.

Lord Acton said it better amd more succinctly. I appreciate that in a man.

[Cactus Jack]

UK Government corruption.

And here we are. Want to talk about US corruption? Start a thread please.

I was talking about governments in general being corrupt, and there being no reason to expect anything less from UK governments.

If you give an entity a great deal of power it will become corrupt. UK government has a great deal of power and control.

I believe one of those smart British guys that aren't around anymore said something to that affect.

All complex systems with human elements become corrupt and all such systems have a tendancy to, acting through officers and agents, protect themselves. That's what the Trump organisation is finding right now with officers acting for it willing to throw Jared, Ivanka and Don Jnr under the bus. A democracy in which all who are affected by government decisions are enfranchised ameliorates that effect to some extent.

Lord Acton said it better amd more succinctly. I appreciate that in a man.

So you'll appreciate the who said 'Eptomies should be used to stimulate understanding not to simulate understanding' a lot.

[drum]

PMQs ... another jokefest, serious issues discussed and Johnson just derides and ridicules.

[Toke 'n' gesture]

No idea which thread this is best suited to, just enjoy it

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... esignation

[Lady Murasaki]

No idea which thread this is best suited to, just enjoy it

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... esignation

yeah.

[drum]

Sunak for the chop or demotion soon?

The Sunday Times reports this evening that Boris Johnson threatened to sack his chancellor this week during a meeting with No. 10 aides. After a letter Sunak wrote to the Prime Minister arguing for an easing of travel restrictions made its way into last week's paper, Johnson was left in a rage as to who was behind the leak. In the Monday call, on realising that Sunak was absent, he is alleged to have said:

'I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe it’s time we looked at Rishi as the next secretary of state for health. He could potentially do a very good job there.’

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is- ... shi-sunak-

[Stooo]

Sunak for the chop or demotion soon?

The Sunday Times reports this evening that Boris Johnson threatened to sack his chancellor this week during a meeting with No. 10 aides. After a letter Sunak wrote to the Prime Minister arguing for an easing of travel restrictions made its way into last week's paper, Johnson was left in a rage as to who was behind the leak. In the Monday call, on realising that Sunak was absent, he is alleged to have said:

'I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe it’s time we looked at Rishi as the next secretary of state for health. He could potentially do a very good job there.’

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is- ... shi-sunak-

He's a threat, Johnson's popularity is waning.

[Cactus Jack]

Sunak for the chop or demotion soon?

The Sunday Times reports this evening that Boris Johnson threatened to sack his chancellor this week during a meeting with No. 10 aides. After a letter Sunak wrote to the Prime Minister arguing for an easing of travel restrictions made its way into last week's paper, Johnson was left in a rage as to who was behind the leak. In the Monday call, on realising that Sunak was absent, he is alleged to have said:

'I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe it’s time we looked at Rishi as the next secretary of state for health. He could potentially do a very good job there.’

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is- ... shi-sunak-

He's a threat, Johnson's popularity is waning.

so I see

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... e-minister

Boris Johnson’s personal approval rating has slipped to its lowest level since he became prime minister, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

His overall approval rating has fallen to -16, down from the -13 he recorded two weeks ago and -8 a fortnight before that. It is even lower than the -15 he recorded back in January, when Britain was in the grip of a Covid peak, lockdown measures were in place and the NHS was under severe pressure