Am watching reruns of ‘The Wire’ and some of the ‘lessons’ (if you can spot them) are priceless.
In season 2 the head of the Longshoremen Union on the docks is stealing specified containers and assisting the ‘mob’ with importing drugs & women. Occasionally they will pick off a load of whatever.
SO, the Union is stealing from the Shippers to funnel money to the Politicians to vote to spend tax dollars (well..) on dredging the canal so more ships can bring their cargo to Baltimore.
Just a complete cycle of madness.
One of the BEST examples of Government spending...
A stranger comes into town, goes to the local hotel and gives the owner 10,000 to rent a room ‘for the duration’ of him writing a book.
The hotel owner goes to the local liquor/food distributor and pays off 10 thousand on his bill, the distributor goes to his truck drivers & shop and pays out 10 thousand in back wages. The truck drivers and mechanics go to the local lady of the evening and pay her 10 thousand owed her and she goes to the hotel and puts 10 grand down on her room that she owes and will use in the future.
The stranger comes back and says “I changed my mind, I don’t think I will be staying here after all”, so the hotel owner gives the 10 grand back to him.
NOW, the town was ‘broke’ everybody after each other for bills, the stranger turns the money over and gets it back BUT all the people involved are happy with the outcome, bills caught up and not a penny actually changed hands.
Government. Masters at spending OPM.