WE WERE JUST WONDERING

The movie, the Ides of March, with George Clooney, is about a Presidential hopeful who, because of a sexual indiscretion, is manipulated by his own campaign advisory and by the party who he represents.  The implication of this movie is a favorite of mine:  “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” 

However, corruption is not just limited to people in “high places” but to people in “low places” as the country song goes.  In fact, I suspect it is simply human nature and not indigenous to race, location, or gender.

I watched a television commercial this morning about an insurance company that has a duck, “pay the doctor boys,” as it spokes whatever, implying an ethically managed company; when in reality, all insurance companies are data driven and are predicated upon the fact that most policy holders will continue to pay, seldom using the benefits as the commercials indicate.

And, because of our long standing need to make the rest of the world like us, we now see American-style exploitation all over the world and we have literally set the world on fire.

• Russia and China lead the globe in the exploitation of cyber crime.
• The Italian Government wants to levy a property tax on the Vatican City.
• Iran continues to exploit uranium enrichment.

UK celebrates its exploitation of the “reign of the Queen.”

OPEC exploits US demand for gasoline.

Global senior citizens are exploited because of their financial drain on societies.

• Mothers and children work in poppy farms in Afghanistan to pay the bills
• Global generic medication is in short supply, but non-generic is not
• US pays students to attend high school when educational competence is low

By the way, Ides of March ended without the audience knowing if Clooney was elected or not.