Corruption and Incompetence

Hi there,

I am getting more and more frustrated by the level of corruption, incompetence and lack of responsibility demonstrated by the "great and the good" of the UK.

Within national and local government it seems that a considerable percentage of them strive endlessly to line their own pockets by stealing, cheating or otherwise defrauding the taxpayer or alternatively demonstrate a level of incompetence and "U" turning that is often breathtaking.

Within business and industry it is apparently acceptable to give jobs to incompetent friends and relatives, arrange pay deals and perks that do not reflect performance and shrug off the resulting disasters as a "business risk" without need to punish or even investigate.

Within the world of entertainment there is a distinct lack of talent amongst many of the "famous people" and a culture of people being lauded for the simple fact that they are "famous for being famous".

The behaviour of many of our sports men and women, both in their public and private lives, leaves so much to be desired that the terms "role model" and "sport" shouldn't be uttered in the same sentence.

In the areas of policing and justice we see favours being doled out for money and "special handshakes", levels of incompetence that are positively breathtaking and an almost total lack of accountability and responsibility. (The Association of Chief Police Officers is itself a Limited Company and therefore not responsible to any public agency, up to and including Parliament!)

Finally, our Media (but mainly the Press) blame everyone other than the people who are supposed to be running this country for us and dole out a load of old codswallop that they class as "news". Believe me, it is not "News" and it will not affect me if some nonentity who was on TV last year was drunk last night; but whilst this dross is taking up newspaper space there is less space that can be dedicated to reporting and analysing the things that do affect us!

To support my grump I have just trawled through the BBC Teletext Service:

o Incompetence - 45,000 students are having to re-sit their GCSE's because of someone's incompetence.

o Lying - the parents of a baby that died in hospital weren't told the true facts concerning the babies death.

o "U" Turn - the government is now interfering in the EADS/BAE merger after privatising and selling off all of our nationalised companies to foreign firms on the basis that everything in life is a "free market".

I wouldn't worry so much if I thought that ANY of these eejits actually knew what they were doing!

Anyway, grump over but I refer you to the last line of Monty Python's Eric Idle in his "Galaxy Song" for comfort! If you don't know what that is then Google it and listen!

Best regards,

Hi Ian.

I cannot agree more. I think it is a generation thing. Our parents most likely made the same comments about how things where looking when they where in the later years of life. We just accepted it then and carried on, as I am sure the young of today will do.
In those years I wanted to live forever. But like you looking at the way things seem to be going now. Well, I've enjoyed what I've had and when I'm gone they are welcome to the mess thats left.

Sad but true. Whisky.

Hi,

Just want to add my two pennorth.

Re Ians comment on news reporting. My conclusions are.

1. I no longer read any of the national newspapers, I find all reporting as 'sensationalist' and not necessarily therefore a true account.

2. I hate television 'rolling news' where everything is re-iterated continually with very little actual content. (Although 'Russia Today' appear to give a more accurate account of UK news!)

3. Similar to above, applied to half hourly radio news bulletins, again, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Strange as I may appear, I choose to read our local newspapers, which seem to have more relevence to me. (Adverts excepted)

Mike D

couldn't agree more with the above sentiments, what a sad little world we find ourselves living in today

On the other hand, it is rather quiet here in my hermit's cave........

what I dislike ( I don't like the word HATE) is when a sportsman etc is called a HERO. The real HEROs are those in uniform who serve us and protect us no matter which uniform they wear soldiers. medics, police, doctors & nurses etc etc

Now where is the AGREE button?

Very well said Dutto,I am in complete agreement
When are you starting the revolution?

Groper

If Only.
We were on holiday in N Yorkshire a few yrs ago and we met and elderly couple in their '80s on our travels. It transpired that he had been an Auditer for The Houses of Parliament. It was around the time of the expenses scandle and asked why they had never been found out before. He stated that in his day 20 yrs ago expense were secret and not subject to Audit. God know how much was stolen over all those yrs of corruption.
Just look at the case of David Laws. He STOLE £40,000 and only paid it back when he was found out and NEVER got charged for theft and imprisoned!!!! One rule etc etc.
There will always be someone who will try to fiddle expenses etc and they only way to stop then is to catch them and discipline them. Sadly that doesn't seem to be possible these days due to weak management!!

Hi there,

I often think of the phrase "Lions lead by donkeys." when I ponder the state of the UK so I decided to look it up!

This is the excerpt from Wikipedia:

During the Crimean War a letter was reportedly sent home by a British soldier quoting a Russian officer who had said that British soldiers were ‘lions commanded by asses'.

That was back in 1854/5 and here we are, well over one and a half centuries later, with troops in Afghanistan, the politicians still interfering with the internal affairs of other countries and our leaders still wondering why we are a target for terrorists!

The mind boggles!

Best regards,

The same phrase was used in the First World War !! Things never change

sadly in all my time in the Army I HAVE met a few donkeys AND in high positions