ANGRY UPSET AND BITTER

Looking at the current state of affairs you can be forgiven, in my view, for not wanting any part of the human race. The behaviour of some of our citizens is beyond understanding. Attempts at fraud and deception permeate the atmosphere at almost every level. I have recently received two scam telephone calls on my mobile from different numbers, but essentially the same type of scam. I checked the numbers on line to find that one of the numbers appeared to emanate from Rostov in Russia, and the other could be either from the UK or Nigeria. There have been numerous reports of telephone scams of all kinds, attempts to defraud the Social Services, attempts both failed and successful to obtain government sponsored grants for alleged businesses and who knows how many other schemes developed to con and steal people’s savings and their taxes paid to governmental bodies in good faith. 

 

I had, for thirty years, been involved in criminal law, and had acted for numbers of people involved, for the most part, in what is termed petty crime. There was usually some element of mitigation behind the offences; unemployment, lack of skills, lack of education and arrested development for the most part. The daily frustrations, caused by the paucity of opportunities resulting from those deficiencies, become unbearable and whatever level of morality a person may have, is set aside, if only for survival. That does not, however, apply to the numbers of organised and technologically enhanced forms of thievery being exploited under the cloak of the current pandemic.  This technological age seems to have ushered in an entire universe of criminal activity over the internet and mobile phone network. The remoteness of the victim seems to override the hurt and pain caused by that activity as well as the shedding of any level of decency the perpetrators may possess.

What is even more disturbing is that those individuals who succeed in these enterprises are admired and lauded, by a great many individuals, for being clever and ‘outwitting the system’. The greater the crime the more admiration and support follows.

(Whilst typing this blog I have just received another scam call from what purports to be the National Crime Agency. This is the third time in two days from three different numbers. I have reported them to the Action Fraud Team. I am assuming some tracing of numbers could lead to something, but probably not. Clearly the prevalence of this activity is becoming overwhelming and any Action Fraud Team is hard pressed to find and deal with the organisers behind the scams.)

This attitude spreads from the very top of our institutions. Representatives who exaggerate their expenses, government officials who accept bribes and open off shore accounts, having the ability to have an off shore account or exclusive numbered accounts. The facilities available for organised thievery to function with impunity, to paraphrase Lady Bracknell, “seem to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution”

The perpetuation of such lies and deceit by the dictators and would be dictators around the world is now apparently unstoppable. That Vlad Putin can get away with murder of his detractors and imprisonment of his opposition has released a flood of Russian hackers involved in interference in other countries political systems and viral banking fraud. That Donald Trump can outrageously declare his office was stolen from him, evade his taxes, openly profit from his office, threaten those who oppose or criticise him and incite deadly riot is open season for any form of questionable morality to flourish, whilst brandishing a gun of course. The gangsters have taken over the asylum. Note as well the military in Myanmar.

The tragedy is that the activities of these supposed world leaders are seen and heard world wide. The perpetrators of outrage used to try to hide their activities, out of some vestige of shame and embarrassment. Not so in the 21^st century. It’s all out in the open and they don’t give a damn. There is no longer any sense of shame or decency. As Messrs Trump, Putin, Burmese Generals and their ilk would have it “Who’s going to stop me? Look at all the supporters behind me”.

Who are the ilk I’m missing out?

If the leaders are arch fraudsters and con men, then much of the general population will feel every justification in indulging in whatever skulduggery is available, either as supporters and workers for the regime, or by setting up an off the book’s fiefdom of their own.   

What we are actually left with is a police force and judiciary that arrests and punishes the many poor, skilless, uneducated, disadvantaged, just trying to survive individuals, who commit crimes of varying degrees of seriousness, but mostly petty, whilst the top racketeers display their perfidy like courting peacocks.  The adage that the rich and powerful get away with it, has never been more apparent than at present. Perhaps during the 1930’s, but it’s a close margin. 

 

Am I upset? Am I angry? Am I bitter? I look to the younger people and to the success of education. Statistically, in the UK at any rate, more people are going into higher education each year, on average. It is a very slow progression, but it is up. Yet again, I am drawn to the prophetic words of Lady Bracknell, ‘The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately, in England at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.’  Some of you may recall the Anti-Vietnamn War demonstrations in Grosvenor Square in May 1968 mostly attended by Students.  Given that those words of Oscar Wilde were written in 1894, clearly education had improved by 1968, hence prophetic. One hopes things will continue to improve.

The cloud and mist of this pandemic is not at all healthy for the mind, so forgive my outburst. I will try to do my exercises with a smile. The sun is out for however long, so enjoy it.