The Letter - Box Tops #Corrupcio (1)

Fa una mica de mandra, però suposo que toca dir 4 cosetes sobre l'actualitat catalana i espanyola, sobretot pels visitants al bloc des de països amb menys xoriços. Un petit resumen, en anglès:

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Ever since Noah had to pay a 5% back-hander to get permission to build his ark, corruption and dodgy dealings have been linked to politics. That is not to say corruption does not exist in other walks of life (who slips the back-handers to the politicians?), but when it's the very people you have placed your trust in to run the country, well, it makes more of an impact when the s**t hits the fan.

Either the press and police are getting more efficient at finding corruption, or they are just bringing it out into the open, but either way, over the last few years it has been a rolling news story in Catalunya (and Spain). MPs, councillors, mayors, people in high places in public bodies, have all been caught with (presumably or not) their fingers in the pie. And nothing happens. Court cases drag on for years, trials run out of steam, deals are negotiated with the public attorney, small fines are paid and Nobody goes to jail, Nobody pays back the money they've fiddled (or wasted - I'd include all the cases of incompetent misuse of public funds too), and Nobody resigns. And most get voted back into power. 

Recent cases include the treasurer of the governing party in Spain, the right-wing PP party, who has millions of euros stashed away in Swiss bank accounts (proven), and has (apparently) been taking his share of the illegal cash commissions paid by private firms to the party, for favours or work. The other share, he (apparently - not proven yet, but quite clear) has been giving out to PP politicians in regular tax-free cash payments in brown envelopes. Including President Rajoy (supposedly).

Here in Catalonia things are not much better. The judges have just reached  a deal with one of the parties currently in the governmental coalition, whereby they have been proven to have received illegal funding and will get off with a fine, and a slap on the hand. A couple of mayors have also been taken in for questioning, one for receiving back-handers, another for (supposed) links with the Russian mafia. And so on. No one resigns. One of the (Christian-Democrat) politicians involved went as far as to say it's a "natural" habit for humans, as old as prostitution! Another said it was simply one of the special characteristics of the Spanish people!

The only thing I ever get in envelopes are letters, and bills.