While Americans like to talk about justice and human rights, our leaders have been rather willing to tolerate and support rules whose greed is exceeded only by the wickedness. In fact, we allow them to visit our country and store their ill gotten gain here.
Newsweek recently published an article on this subject, revealing various disturbing facts. The main example used in the article was Teodoro Obiang, son of the dictator of Equatorial Guinea. He jets to his $35 million Malibu mansion in his $36 million Gulfstream V, presumably to be close to the millions of dollars he has stashed away in dummy corporations. In contrast, 70% if the people of Equatorial Guinea live on under $2 per day.
It might, obviously enough, be argued that this is not our concern. After all, even if he is living well while the people live in abject poverty, this is a matter of sovereignty: if the people want to allow his lifestyle, that is their choice.
However, this does not seem to be their choice. This money was apparently looted from the government and extorted. And, of course, the ruler is a dictator and hence choice (aside from not choosing to have a rebellion) does not really enter into this matter. As such, we are hosting a thief and his money, which seems to be a bit of an ethical problem.
While America does have some rather strict anti-corruption laws, there is vast hole in these defenses. To be specific, it is almost as easy to create a shell company in the United States as it is to create a Facebook account. While a law was considered that would require state governments to determine the actual owner of corporations, this law was not supported by Obama in 2009 (ironically, he sponsored an earlier version when he was a senator). As such, these shell companies remain an easy way for dictators and their associates to dump their stolen money into the United States.
As to why we tolerate him and other such people, the obvious answer is that their governments are seen as serving “our” interests. We tolerated and supported Mubarek because of our strategic interests. In the case of Equatorial Guinea, we are happy to keep the dictator and his family happy because of the oil. There is also the obvious advantage to having these evil people spending the wealth of their people on American goods and storing their pilfered loot in America. That spending certainly helps our economy. Some cynical folks might even claim that the rich have a sense of class consciousness and use their influence for the advantage of their own kind. If so, it would hardly be surprising that wealthy Americans would be willing to ensure that things were easy for their fellows in other parts of the world. After all, they have far more in common with each other than they do with the little people who just happen to live in the same country.
From last week’s Economist:
Reputation management
Glitzkrieg
Respectability is for sale. Here is a buyer’s guide. Names are omitted to protect the guilty from blushes and us from lawsuits
PICTURE yourself as a big shot from an unpopular country—leader of an oil-rich bit of the Middle East, say, or a tycoon from a grungy bit of the former Communist world. You wish your family could shop, invest, socialise and study in the richest and nicest parts of the world (and flee there if needs be). But you don’t deserve it and won’t earn it: you will not stop torture, allow criticism, obey the law, or keep your fingers out of the public purse.
Luckily, respectability is on sale. You just have to know how to buy it. The place to start is London. Among its advantages are strict libel laws, which mean nosy journalists risk long, costly legal battles. And helpful banks, law firms, accountants and public relations people abound.
http://www.economist.com/node/18330435?story_id=18330435
Money covers a multitude of sins.
I feel our focus should be more on the path forward it is not healthy or God’s way to focus on our inevidable demise. Afterall, He never promised we would live forever on earth but only if we follow the way the truth and the life would we find eternity with Him in the Spirit realm of Heaven. Perhaps we need to connect to the universal source of knowledge through deep meditation and ask God our Creator for the answers to all man’s problems before it is too late. Remember when we pray we speak to God and when we meditate He Speaks back to us, through the Holy Spirit and our inner entity. Order your advanced copy of my book today and get your own “Illumination of Conscience” as you work on discovering your own truth. For “there exist no real truth in the world only varying degrees of certainty” You will learn more about your soul, your body, your Creator, the universal source of knowledge and much more in my new book out this July by 5www.foldmedia.com it can be pre-ordered now for a $2.00 discount at the website http://www.thetruthbooksite.com The book is titled THE TRUTH “The Illumination of Conscience” by author Jeffrey Michael Simoneaux
Thankyou for allowing me to reply and know that we can all walk in the way, the truth and the life as we were so designed.
Peace, Love and Truth
As Socrates said, “discounted truth is the best truth of all.”
“(ironically, he sponsored an earlier version when he was a senator)”
I haven’t checked the history of this, but this may not be an uncommon legislative/candidate v executive/president event. And, of course there may be subtle , but significant differences between the two circumstances, thought I can’t imagine what they would be.
But, then, it’s not uncommon for politicians to change their message. Romney seems to have shifted significantly on health care, and he’s not even president yet.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/03/22/mitt_romney_health_care_hypocrisy
Anyone know if governors who become presidents have the same problem?
No doubt an occupational hazard!
Yes, indeed. It’s just like priests and their acolytes. A priest shouldn’t molest, but when he does, the one molested is seriously harmed. A politician shouldn’t lie, but if he chooses to do so, his lies can have deleterious effects on followers and foes alike.
To the extent that we expedite the rich in their stealing from the poor, even in other countries, we must share in their guilt. It may be unreasonable for us to become involved with the internal affairs of other countries, but we could at least stop funding exploitive dictators and helping them salt away their ill-gotten gains.
Quite so. To steal from Thoreau, at the very least we should not lend our aid to the misdeeds of others.