Corruption and the Decline of Our Civilization
A friend of a friend has come across a major piece of corruption, and is unsure what to do about it. He’s thinking of publishing an expose’, but he’s older, in failing health, and doesn’t want the stress.
I hope he doesn’t regard my response as unsympathetic:
Well thank you very much. I’ll look forward to hearing which direction you take.
For what it’s worth, it’s quite clear to me that our civilization is doomed if we can’t get a grasp on corruption. To put it concisely, the private sector, left unregulated, will exploit people and natural resources until our planet fails to support any form of reasonably decent and pleasant life. We see this everywhere we look: rich lawyers helping their super-rich clients to steal from what’s left of the middle class, declines in education, destruction of the ecosystem, Wall Street rip-offs, etc.
The public sector, on the other hand, is so monstrously corrupt and bureaucratic that only complete idiots look for real help from this arena.
Having said this, I understand you don’t need the stress.
Again, I’ll look forward to hearing from you. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.
The corruption we see now is much less serious than it was during the “robber baron” and “gilded age” of the late 19th century. Of course it is still serious and must be dealt with. However, history tends to repeat itself. When people became sufficiently fed up with the corruption of the late 19th century, action was taken to reduce the corruption and abuses of power to a tolerable level. I don’t doubt that the same thing will happen again. The challenge is to make it happen as quickly as possible. Making people more aware of the abuses would speed up the process.
To put it concisely, the private sector, left unregulated, will exploit people and natural resources until our planet fails to support any form of reasonably decent and pleasant life.
Very true but look at the converse also.
The public sector, left unregulated, will exploit people and natural resources until our planet fails to support any form of resonably decent and pleasant life.
Politicians on the taxpayer dime will spend lavishly on themselves with environmentally damaging trips to far flung places. The eco-travesty of it all!
Only in a democracy with a free press do we stand a chance of reining in the excesses of the elite. Unfortunately that hasn’t worked too well in recent times.