Paper Tigers

[steveL]

Strikes me we are over-populated with too many Paper Tigers; people who know of wrong doing and are prepared to pass their snippets of information on with a 'don't tell anyone I told you this' caveat. When it comes to the crunch though and actually accepting the distinction between right and wrong and that maybe, from time to time, we each may need to demononstrate that we know the difference, suddenly that line becomes a little blurred.

At such times, the following phrases generally prove useful:

"I don't want to get involved."
"What can you do?"
"I was told that in confidence."
"What's the point, you can't change anything."
"It's not worth it."
"Well, it's always been like that, hasn't it?"

The real question is - who are the guilty ones? Those who carry out the wrong-doing or those who know what is going on but choose cowardly to stay quiet and not get involved.

It doesn't really matter whether you are talking about board members quitting Who Cares (NE); Cabinet Members who know how dodgy the whole CC contract is; Officers who prefer to give the impression that all is OK or Councillors who also know what's going on but prefer to keep their heads down.

I would even extend it to those who know full well who is behind the DDOS attacks on HTH who are happy to tell others 'on the quiet' but refuse to take any action that might bring the perpetrators to justice.

I'm no longer sure for which group I have more contempt.

There will always be wrong-doers. Generally speaking, they are kept in check by those who are prepared to believe in something and to stand up and be counted when it matters. When there is a shortage of the latter; the former thrive and we slide just a little bit further down the slope.

[Inspector Knacker]

The reason is straightforwardv, because they all share the same 'mindset'. Politicsal persuasion or position are of no consequence as they're all just  members of the same ant hill, little people who need the security of the group, pack animals howling at the moon but always conforming to the pack rules.

[fred c]

Personnaly speaking comtempt for the perpetrator, is outweighed by my comtempt for the people who are prepared to sit back & say or do "Nowt",

The perpetrator plans carefully how to go about their corrupt or criminal activity for their personal gain, the consequences are known to them if they are caught, but they are prepared to take that risk.

The person who sits back & does nothing to stop the activities of the wrongdoer, gains no advantage or monetary return, but are prepared to see innocent parties lose out because they lack the moral fibre to stand-up & do the right thing.

There are untold numbers of examples of people keeping quiet & the resultant consequences have often been more shocking than the original crimes.

The recent Jimmy Saville exposures are a case in point, Saville was obviously a sociopath of the highest order, but it is now clear dozens of high profile people including police officers sat back & did nothing, those people could have stopped hundreds of cases of abuse by putting their heads above the parapet & speaking out..... to my mind those people are more contemptible than Saville.

There are of course examples closer to home, councillors, officers & others who sit back & close their eyes, ears & minds to things they know are blatantly wrong, they can use any excuse they want, the end result is......... They are as guilty as the those who are "At It"

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.'

Edmund Burke

Irish orator, philosopher, & politician (1729 - 1797)   

[notenoughsaid]

Reply to FREDc     .....you are not far off the mark and I entirely agree with the point you make regarding the possible complicity within the Council Chamber.   The saying goes, "There is nowt so blind as a blind man" so to sit back with the knowledge of what may be happening to public funds and not to question the issue is almost criminal.   The law states something along  the lines "any person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission of an indictable offence ( theft,fraud, deception etc) is liable to be arrested,tried and sentenced as a principle offender."  I dont know if privilege applies to local councils but I hope this makes a few think.....apologies to any genuine blind person regarding the above quote.

[tankerville]

I wonder if that also applied to the former Chief Constable of Cleveland Police or certain members of the Police Authority?

They will all come out smelling of roses and their pockets full of cash.

Cleveland Police will do nothing about attacks on this site, if they had wanted to do something, it would have been done long before now.

Power to the People..Well some of them!