To Poirot, David and Neutral.

If any of you bothered to access any of Transparency Internationals websites, you will discover that those countries that are least corrupt are (unsurprisingly) Western Europe, and those countries still largely populated by Western Europeans. The singular exception to this rule is Italy, because of the traditional reverence that Italians have always had for family, religion, and graft.

I find it odd that Poirot and Neutral are so sneery of Judeo-Christian ethics, when they almost certainly choose to live in those countries who’s cultural values they are so contemptuous of. If you think that corruption is bad in Western European countries boys, I suggest you go and live in sub Saharan Africa of the Middle East and get yourselves a reality check.

To David, it is unsurprising that you personally know of a case of corruption involving the Japs. Japan may like to give the impression that it is a country full of principled and respectable businessmen, but in Japan, all is not what it seems. That is hardly surprising in a county where child pornography is illegal, but where 80% of child pornography websites originate from.

Japan is virtually a one party police state where real power is held by “shadow shoguns” exercising brokered politics formulated within secret meetings and back-room-deals. The close connection between politicians, bureaucrats, ultranationalists, media barons, and organized gangsters, has always been a curious fact of Japanese life.

Prostitution is officially illegal and there are no streetwalkers, But behind the official façade there are numerous “night clubs” which are simply brothels, where politicians, captains of industry, celebrities, police commissioners, mob bosses and the judiciary toast each other with sake before indulging in the pleasures which these establishments have to offer.

I'm in Samoa now. China is building markets and other structures. They have a TV channel which looks a lot like propaganda to me. Watch out for the Aian tiger

"Let China sleep- for when she awakes, the world will tremble"

Napoleon

(as best I can recall the quote)

Why doesn't Australia stop people buying our land unless they are Aussies? Samoans wont let any foreigner buy their land.

Worth thinking about, Bob Brown

At LEGO,

It was more a dismissive laugh than a sneer. Having prompted me though, any further preaching of shallow hypocrisy will certainly attract a sneer.

BTW the Chinese can buy their 'Judeo Christian ethics' from http://holysee.biz/Papal_Indulgince/indulgence.htm

Problem solved!

PS. I choose to live in a secular democracy.

Lego,
For examples of US oil related Judeo Christian ethics look at Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi, Nigeria, Iraq, Venezuela, Columbia and Iran. For non oil related look at Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, Palestine or Cuba.