Can We Trust Anyone In Authority Anymore

Might sound a bit like a barmy conspiracy theory but with the recent allegations against the BBC and SY Police is there anyone in authority we can trust:

Politicians – Not a chance, amongst the worse culprits and their party manifesto’s are the biggest travesty of all.

Big Businesses – No, tax avoidance, fiddling pensions etc etc

Banks – Once the pillar of the community now lower than the local pickpocket

Utility Companies – These will lie through their teeth to increase costs

Supermarkets – Misleading “promotions”, rip off prices etc etc

Insurance Companies, Estate Agents – Pretty much all the same.

Solicitors – Don’t get me started.

Its seems the so-called elite have turned into a bunch of Arthur Daley’s (but without the morals) while the rest of the country suffers.

Allegations against the BBC and SYP are from decades ago, things have changed. There organisations are much more transparent than they were.

I trust the Government but then again I'm not that big on conspiracy theories.

Yes we can, let's not go mad and throw the baby out with the bath water. Corruption is an inevitable part of human life, the trick is keeping it a small part, the UK is one of the least corrupt countries in the world.

I hate the cliche that all MP's are rotten, this is not the case. Miliband was called an 'expenses angel' for example. On the Tory side I don't see people like Ken Clarke as dodgy either. I've never heard anyone complain about manifesto's until now, I didn't think anyone bothered to read them.

Trust is thinking of my best interest at all times, even if I don't like it. Respect is to hold in high esteem and value opinions through credibility, office, longevity, finances etc.

I cannot come up with an example where I can trust someone who I do not respect. With the massive spending cuts and current happenings respect for authorities has gone and so then has trust.

Unfortunately dodgy dealing is a part of life and certainly is with governments. Sometimes it's the only way they can get things done.

But there is a difference between doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and the sort of self serving fraud for personal gain that seems to be rife at the moment. This is part of their self agrandisement and sense of entitlement which I think is is a worryingly new phenomenon.

I think that we could spend an awful lot of time and energy not trusting, not interacting and not doing business with anybody who could potentially be untrustworthy, but IMO my life just can't function with that level of paranoia.

There's a sliding scale that goes from trusting everybody (despite advice/proof that they are untrustworthy) to trusting nobody (despite advice/proof that some or all are trustworthy) and I think I'm somewhere in the middle.

It is completely possible to live like Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State, but I don't think that the quality of life that people have if they life like that is a patch on the quality of life that is had by those who are just mildly cautious about who they trust and who they do business with, share their details with and who they allow to have access to their money.

I don't automatically trust any reports in the press. I assume that whatever is transmitted/printed is coloured by the agenda of the people or organisations that have released it, but that doesn't mean that I have to go looking for a conspiracy behind everything in this life. If I did that then whatever quality of life I have would be compromised by the amount of time and effort I give over to fretting about that.

Unfortunately dodgy dealing is a part of life and certainly is with governments. Sometimes it's the only way they can get things done.

 

But there is a difference between doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and the sort of self serving fraud for personal gain that seems to be rife at the moment. This is part of their self agrandisement and sense of entitlement which I think is is a worryingly new phenomenon.

Good post that. I'm not sure it's a new phenomenon, but its certainly more prevalent now. It would be nice if one or two of them put their hands up when caught, but no, they deny everything ("I did nothing wrong") and some even have the cheek to say it once convicted (Conrad black).

It's still them and us, rich and poor. You can give people the vote, let them bicker on which colour is best but it boils down to them and us. I just try and make the best of it.

Might sound a bit like a barmy conspiracy theory but with the recent allegations against the BBC and SY Police is there anyone in authority we can trust:

Politicians – Not a chance, amongst the worse culprits and their party manifesto’s are the biggest travesty of all.

Big Businesses – No, tax avoidance, fiddling pensions etc etc

Banks – Once the pillar of the community now lower than the local pickpocket

Utility Companies – These will lie through their teeth to increase costs

Supermarkets – Misleading “promotions”, rip off prices etc etc

Insurance Companies, Estate Agents – Pretty much all the same.

Solicitors – Don’t get me started.

Its seems the so-called elite have turned into a bunch of Arthur Daley’s (but without the morals) while the rest of the country suffers.

I have to give a nod to SOME of your claims but come on - lets not tar everyone with the same brush.

All bankers/ all politicans??? really, every single one.

All big businesses??? John Lewis and Coop are hardly well known for their tax scamming are they?

All the energy companies? really - why not just switch custom.

Would you perhaps like to substantiate some of your claims other than "pretty much all the same" and "dont get me started" "rip off prices" its hardly conclusive evidence.

Prey tell how you would like to prove that a supermarket has "rip off prices" when food has never been so cheap. Relatively speaking you certainly get more for your money than you ever did. No smart price/Basics/everyday value range in the 50s and 60s. No "2 meals for a fiver" or buy one get one free much then.

Insurance Comps / Estate agents. Why so bad. They are providing a service. Nobody is forcing you at gun point to use them. If you think they charge too much shop around. Insurance companies are based on risk and its us the people who create the situations - increased injury claims/younger drivers/increased theft.

Solicitors - They are there to advise you on the law. Some are on YOUR side. Some are on the OTHER side. It involves good things and mostly bad things. However, what they do is what you ask them. That fact that they might provide you with advice or a result that YOU dont want to hear is not their problem. They would not be doing their job if they pretended all was fine. What have they personally done to upset you so much?

Its nothing to do with the Elite. There is good and crap in all levels of society. Here is a few lesser grades to consider, rogue tradesmen who scam their income to get more tax back or take cash in hand not put through the books, benefits cheats, shop staff who lie about a product/deal to get their commission, sales reps who con people onto schemes and deals they did know about, cash loan agents who trot around peoples homes signing them up to £50 loans with a £500 repayment, car salesmen conning people into extra insurances, warranties, hire/credit contracts.......

Sod all to do with elitism.

I have to give a nod to SOME of your claims but come on - lets not tar everyone with the same brush.

 

All bankers/ all politicans??? really, every single one.

 

All big businesses??? John Lewis and Coop are hardly well known for their tax scamming are they?

 

All the energy companies? really - why not just switch custom.

 

Would you perhaps like to substantiate some of your claims other than "pretty much all the same" and "dont get me started" "rip off prices" its hardly conclusive evidence.

 

Prey tell how you would like to prove that a supermarket has "rip off prices" when food has never been so cheap. Relatively speaking you certainly get more for your money than you ever did. No smart price/Basics/everyday value range in the 50s and 60s. No "2 meals for a fiver" or buy one get one free much then.

 

Insurance Comps / Estate agents. Why so bad. They are providing a service. Nobody is forcing you at gun point to use them. If you think they charge too much shop around. Insurance companies are based on risk and its us the people who create the situations - increased injury claims/younger drivers/increased theft.

 

Solicitors - They are there to advise you on the law. Some are on YOUR side. Some are on the OTHER side. It involves good things and mostly bad things. However, what they do is what you ask them. That fact that they might provide you with advice or a result that YOU dont want to hear is not their problem. They would not be doing their job if they pretended all was fine. What have they personally done to upset you so much?

 

Its nothing to do with the Elite. There is good and crap in all levels of society. Here is a few lesser grades to consider, rogue tradesmen who scam their income to get more tax back or take cash in hand not put through the books, benefits cheats, shop staff who lie about a product/deal to get their commission, sales reps who con people onto schemes and deals they did know about, cash loan agents who trot around peoples homes signing them up to £50 loans with a £500 repayment, car salesmen conning people into extra insurances, warranties, hire/credit contracts.......

 

Sod all to do with elitism.

I see you've bought the party line, a tradesman doing an honest job for someone and making £100 cash in hand as opposed to big business (Starbucks) avoiding tax on incomes of £500m plus, hardly compares does it.

As for for your statement that food "has never been so cheap" because of offers, totally totally wrong, supermarket shopping cost have doubled in the last five years and these offers (usually minimal) are manufactured to look like bargains.

Can I come and live in your world, because mine is very suspect (and expensive).

Might sound a bit like a barmy conspiracy theory but with the recent allegations against the BBC and SY Police is there anyone in authority we can trust:

Politicians – Not a chance, amongst the worse culprits and their party manifesto’s are the biggest travesty of all.

Big Businesses – No, tax avoidance, fiddling pensions etc etc

Banks – Once the pillar of the community now lower than the local pickpocket

Utility Companies – These will lie through their teeth to increase costs

Supermarkets – Misleading “promotions”, rip off prices etc etc

Insurance Companies, Estate Agents – Pretty much all the same.

Solicitors – Don’t get me started.

Its seems the so-called elite have turned into a bunch of Arthur Daley’s (but without the morals) while the rest of the country suffers.

Don't forget the ne'er do wells who organise March festivities whilst forsaking the April ones...

I see you've bought the party line, a tradesman doing an honest job for someone and making £100 cash in hand as opposed to big business (Starbucks) avoiding tax on incomes of £500m plus, hardly compares does it.

 

As for for your statement that food "has never been so cheap" because of offers, totally totally wrong, supermarket shopping cost have doubled in the last five years and these offers (usually minimal) are manufactured to look like bargains.

 

Can I come and live in your world, because mine is very suspect (and expensive).

What's your point. Is that tax scammming sole tradesman any more moral and trustworthy than a big business just becuase its a lesser amount

Its all relative.

I said quite clearly that there are good and bad in ALL levels of society.

Dont start preaching to me that there is any difference in morals between a sole trader or large business when they are DOING THE SAME THING.

I have previously worked self employed. I managed to pay my taxes and not fiddle the books. Therefore in my eyes a rogue builder or spark is untrustworthy with no morals.

Similarly, Costa Coffee paid is taxes correctly. Starbucks didn't therefore I consider starbucks to be untrustworthy and have no morals.

SAME THING. DIFFERENT AMOUNTS THATS ALL.

What puts you on your high horse. I am bringing no party line. I am just speaking sense.

Also, perhaps you would like to READ my post. Where did I say anything about special offers. What I am trying to say is that food has never been so cheap and in such supply. You can get meat products for less than £1 canned produce and dried goods being sold for pennies. Processed food and meals in a box for £1 - £2.

Without doing the exact maths its pretty clear that nothing sold from a food store in the 50s / 60s would have had anywhere near an equated low price as available now. Tell me you could have popped into the store back then and got a weeks worth of essentials for less than the equivilent of a half a days wage. If you stick with the lowest home brand products I bet you could do that now.

PS: I see you have failed to repond with any substantial issues regards solicitors, insurance companies or estate agents. I assume therefore that you dont actually have any real issue and just wanted a pointless rant.

What's your point. Is that tax scammming sole tradesman any more moral and trustworthy than a big business just becuase its a lesser amount

 

Its all relative.

 

I said quite clearly that there are good and bad in ALL levels of society.

 

Dont start preaching to me that there is any difference in morals between a sole trader or large business when they are DOING THE SAME THING.

 

I have previously worked self employed. I managed to pay my taxes and not fiddle the books. Therefore in my eyes a rogue builder or spark is untrustworthy with no morals.

 

Similarly, Costa Coffee paid is taxes correctly. Starbucks didn't therefore I consider starbucks to be untrustworthy and have no morals.

 

SAME THING. DIFFERENT AMOUNTS THATS ALL.

 

What puts you on your high horse. I am bringing no party line. I am just speaking sense.

 

Also, perhaps you would like to READ my post. Where did I say anything about special offers. What I am trying to say is that food has never been so cheap and in such supply. You can get meat products for less than £1 canned produce and dried goods being sold for pennies. Processed food and meals in a box for £1 - £2.

 

Without doing the exact maths its pretty clear that nothing sold from a food store in the 50s / 60s would have had anywhere near an equated low price as available now. Tell me you could have popped into the store back then and got a weeks worth of essentials for less than the equivilent of a half a days wage. If you stick with the lowest home brand products I bet you could do that now.

 

 

PS: I see you have failed to repond with any substantial issues regards solicitors, insurance companies or estate agents. I assume therefore that you dont actually have any real issue and just wanted a pointless rant.

The Government (and others before it), have made numerous attempts to clamp down on tradesmen making money on the black economy, where are the efforts to make big business pay, with the exception of soundbites and empty rhetoric (Camerons lowest tariff fuel fiasco being the latest non attempt).

Not a pointless rant just a general statement that has some grounds in truth.

From your comments you obviously DO NOT shop for a family as it is becoming prohibitively expensive, a report in a financial paper revealed last week that families are having to borrow from friends and relatives at the end of a month just to make ends meet.

As for switching power companies what is the point when they all end up charging the same and if your in debit to your previous supplier you get a huge final bill.