More Fifa corruption

[BobG]

Splendid!

I've thought for years that England is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Not in the 'brown paper envelope' kind of way, but in the 'you scratch my back' kind of way. This country, and an awful lot of things within it, are run by self perpetuating cabals of the privileged.

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

Did you hear the news this morning Bob? Top companies recruiting poorly qualified public schoolboys over better qualified working class kids, because they are unconsciously biased towards people from their own background.

[silent majority]

What rubbish.

[BobG]

Academic study just published SM. It's all in there. It was featured on Radio 4 yesterday morning. Or was it this morning? Lol! It's all to do with how they recruit; where they go to recruit, what criteria they use to assess peoeple. Outcome is a big dose of bias. If you wanna succeed, go to a private school and then a Russell Group uni.

BobG

[Sammy Chung was King]

Splendid!

I've thought for years that England is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Not in the 'brown paper envelope' kind of way, but in the 'you scratch my back' kind of way. This country, and an awful lot of things within it, are run by self perpetuating cabals of the privileged.

BobG

Bob you are not alone in thinking that, people don't seem to be noticing either that the government is controlling more and more of they're lives, what you can and can't say, being able to look at you're emails
Some might say'' if you have nothing to hide it's not a problem'', but us ordinary folk have to put up with it, the stars get paid out when they do it to them.

[BobG]

If you care to do a bit of research you would be downright bloody staggered, gobsmacked, frightened even, by the surveillance and control infrastructure that the government is implementing right across this country right now. And I do mean right now.

BobG

[Sammy Chung was King]

When i was younger i used to think things were not like this, as i get older i like the world less and less, values, kindness helping people if you can, it happens less and less.

[BobG]

People are human. When someone has something nice he/she wants to protect it; wants to make sure his/her children get the benefit of it in future years too. That applies to power too. It's an aphrodisiac. There is a top example right now over in the US. Jeb Bush. Jesus H Christ! The entire planet knows that he and his brother are 50p short of a quid - yet he'll have a pretty damn good chance. 

Almost always there is no generosity of spirit in those with wealth, power and/or control. They seek to protect what they have; to entrench that status and position; to perpetually enlarge their empire. It's human nature. Meaningful change, change that directly affects those with control, wealth, power, only ever happens when circumstances dictate that change is the lesser evil. That's the tragedy of the trades unions. They killed themselves in the 1970's. Mrs Thatcher emasculated what was left. Their absence today contributes hugely to the greed of those at the top of corporate empires, the greed of the bankers, the abuse of power by the police, the erosion of civil liberties, zero hours contracts, the decision not to investigate Orgreave - on the grounds that it was too long ago for evidence to be reliable even though people are still being sent to prison now, solely on the word of a small handful of individuals at most for sex offences committed even longer ago. Its as if all that film and documentary evidence for Orgreave didn't exist....

The world is not a nice place.  England is not a nice place. England is a very controlled place. England looks after those with power and wealth. It's called 'the establishment'. Did you know, for example, that the last Labour government introduced more new criminal offences than any other government in the history of this country? Why? What does that say when the supposed representatives of the labouring classes feel the need to bring in a tidal wave of new crimes with which to control the people they are supposed to be representing? And this government effectively removed access to legal representation for 95% of the population. Where do those two things leave you and me eh?

BobG

PS I guess that's why I like Bill Gates. He has a conscience no matter what you think of his company. Nuffield too in another time.

[silent majority]

Academic study just published SM. It's all in there. It was featured on Radio 4 yesterday morning. Or was it this morning? Lol! It's all to do with how they recruit; where they go to recruit, what criteria they use to assess peoeple. Outcome is a big dose of bias. If you wanna succeed, go to a private school and then a Russell Group uni.

BobG

Sorry Bob,
I wasn't referring to BST's comments but some earlier ones about FA corruption. Trying to do it from my phone whilst on my travels didnt help!

[albie]

It depends what you mean by corruption, and the extent of English involvement at different levels.

Everyone inside the process knew that Blatter, Warner and their mates were "open to suggestion", going back years.

If you want to put in a hosting bid, and you know others are playing the system, then do you spend £18m on a free and fair bid, while your competitors play a different game?

I think all bids to host, winners or losers, need to be looked at in order to gauge the full range of swerves in play.

For example, the article suggests that the FA accounts do not include some transfers of monies related to the bid. That is a serious accusation that could imply false accounting.

Similarly, press reports suggest that British overseas territories named in the US indictment as playing a part in “masking kickbacks” – the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos.

That surely needs to be looked at!

[silent majority]

Albie,

I would question the validity of that article. Andrew Jennings has been a lot closer to the goings on in FIFA circles than anybody, and whilst critical of some aspects of the FA bid, including playing T&T in the Caribbean, he has never suggested anything like that article.

[idler]

Hi Martin, I met a lady at breakfast in Venice today that was talking to you in Lubjana. Pam Williams? The Pompey fan sends her regards.
Ps I set her straight about Kyle Bennet.

[silent majority]

Hi Martin, I met a lady at breakfast in Venice today that was talking to you in Lubjana. Pam Williams? The Pompey fan sends her regards.
Ps I set her straight about Kyle Bennet.

Hi Dave, yes that would be Pam. Unfortunately we discussed some rather sad business as the Chair of the Pompey Trust, a close friend to both of us, died last week very suddenly.

Glad you told her about Kyle, I never got chance!

[idler]

She did mention him as well Martin.
Me and the wife had a good chat for five or ten minutes although my wife isn't into football.
At least Pam got away before yesterday's thunder and rain. We just managed to get onto a vaporetto before the heavens opened.
Real Engish weather but warmer rain.

[albie]

Andrew Jennings 2011 Panorama is worth a look again;
▶ BBC Panorama FIFA: Football's Shame - YouTube

The FA had earlier criticised the BBC in 2010, for damaging the English bid before the award to Qatar and Russia.

The Telegraph has a useful timeline of all the key developments in order they took place;
FA went along with Fifa’s odious practices when it suited them during 2018 World Cup bid

It becomes difficult to remember who did what, and when.
This sorry saga has been going on so long, you lose the will to live.