tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190326263026916588.post1350005145426284375..comments2024-03-04T21:50:12.306+11:00Comments on Upon Hope: The Great Convergence Mark Moncrieffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988061141727262837noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190326263026916588.post-55232892601694332532021-04-27T12:55:04.496+10:002021-04-27T12:55:04.496+10:00Money is the first point of call, it uses it's...<em>Money is the first point of call, it uses it's corrupting influence to break down barriers. I'm not talking about bribery, sometimes it is that crude, but mostly it is about encouraging the right behaviour.</em><br /><br />Yes. Western countries like to preen themselves on being less corrupt than Third World countries but in reality they're more corrupt. The problem in the West is massive legal corruption.<br /><br />When retired politicians are given company directorships or "jobs" as consultants, when retired generals land "jobs" with defence contractors, when former Cabinet ministers or presidents receive huge speaking fees from industry groups, when ex-politicians are given cushy positions with NGOs - these things are quite legal but they're all examples of corruption.<br /><br /><em>Churches don't want to lose their tax free status so they bend. Charities see government dangling big money in front of them to deal with a problem that they want to be involved in.</em><br /><br />Yep, that's all corruption as well. And in many cases charities have money dangled in front of them to persuade them <strong>not </strong>to deal with issues that would upset powerful interest groups, which is why environmentalist groups don't take a stand against immigration. And of course many charities are not actually charities at all - they're political pressure groups being allowed to masquerade as charities.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com