Corruption in the U.S. Today
The meaning of corruption: Corruption for our purposes is an official’s concealed private appropriation of a public right, for gain;
corruption includes all policies and actions by those elected or other officials in or connected to government, the net result of which improperly, unjustly or illegally distributes the nation's wealth (and that of other nations we exploit and dominate) to benefit an elite minority and at the expense of the vast majority of the people
Campaign Finance Laws vs. CorruptionIn the United States, studies comparing states like Virginia with scant regulation against those like Wisconsin with strict rules have not found much difference in levels of corruption or public trust, several scholars said. Jeff Milyo, an economist at the University of Missouri, has compared states with strict bans on corporate contributions to political parties against those with no limits at all. “There is just no good evidence that campaign finance laws have any effect on actual corruption,” he said.
Several Areas of Corruption Today
- Corruption in government aviation safety offices that are responsible for ordering measures to prevent aviation disasters and terrorist attacks on aviation targets. This deep seated culture has resulted in decades of preventable airline disasters.
- Corruption in nation's top law enforcement agency, the FBI and other Department of Justice offices, that are responsible for acting on information of criminal activities. This culture has made possible a series of preventable terrorist attacks.
- Corruption in the nation's financial regulatory agencies. This closure has resulting in periodic financial crises, including for instance the savings and loan, and the housing and financial crises starting in 2007.
- Corruption in the Central Intelligence Agency.
- Corruption in the Drug Enforcement Agency, Immigration and Naturalization Service. The proliferation of drug related crimes was enabled by this corruption.
- Corruption involving members of Congress.
- Corruption involving federal judges and the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Corruption involving cover-up by media people and media corporations.
Gold and Silver Prices Manipulated
An industry insider "whistle blower" has come forward with "smoking gun" evidence that major financial institutions have been openly and blatantly manipulating the price of gold and silver. But so far those who are supposed to be regulating these firms have been sitting back and doing nothing about it.Joe Cassano Receives no Punishment
The guy who helped bring down AIG is going to get off scott-free and will be able to keep the millions in profits that he made in the process. It must be nice to be him.Federal Reserve Bets on State Defaults
Bonuses at Record Highs During Times of Financial Crisis
Executives at many of the firms that received large amounts of money during the Wall Street bailouts are being lavished with record bonuses as millions of other average Americans are suffering intensely. Even the CEOs of bailed-out regional banks are getting big raises.National Debt Endangers Our Children
But the biggest financial fraud of all is being committed against the American people. The exploding U.S. national debt threatens to destroy the financial future of literally generations of Americans. It is obscenely immoral to saddle our children and our grandchildren with the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world. If they get the chance, future generations of Americans will look back and curse this generation for what we have done to them.GE Capital Takes Advantage of Tax Benefits
Some of the world's biggest, most profitable corporations enjoy a far lower tax rate than you do--that is, if they pay taxes at all. The most egregious example is General Electric. Last year the conglomerate generated $10.3 billion in pretax income, but ended up owing nothing to Uncle Sam. In fact, it recorded a tax benefit of $1.1 billion. How did this happen? It's complicated. GE in effect consists of two divisions: General Electric Capital and everything else. The everything else--maker of engines, power plants, TV shows and the like--would have paid a 22% tax rate if it was a standalone company. It's GE Capital that keeps the overall tax bill so low. Over the last two years, GE Capital has displayed an uncanny ability to lose lots of money in the U.S. (posting a $6.5 billion loss in 2009), and make lots of money overseas (a $4.3 billion gain). Not only do the U.S. losses balance out the overseas gains, but GE can defer taxes on that overseas income indefinitely. The timing of big deductions for depreciation in GE Capital's equipment leasing business also provides a tax benefit, as will loan losses left over from the credit crunch. But it's the tax benefit of overseas operations that is the biggest reason why multinationals end up with lower tax rates than the rest of us.
ASFT Corruption
Ralph Mariano, 52, of Arlington, VA, was working as a civilian program manager and senior systems engineer with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in Newport at the time of his Feb. 8 arrest. Federal prosecutors have accused Mariano, along with Anjan Dutta-Gupta, 58, of Roswell, GA, founder and president of ASFT of participating in an alleged kickback and bribery scheme in which Dutta-Gupta funneled approximately $10 million dollars to Mariano, Mariano’s relatives, and Mariano’s associates in return for Mariano’s role in the funding of Naval contracts to ASFT.
To find out more information on any of these topics, check out these sites below!
http://middletown.patch.com/articles/huffington-post-reports-asft-corruption-case-in-middletown-sparks-navy-probe
By Elizibeth W, Alex R, Brittney A
By Elizibeth W, Alex R, Brittney A
