The sick truth

The best Paul Volcker could ever achieve was naming names. Beyond that, the potential for justice is out of his hands. That responsibility falls to the UN, for its internal staff and officials, and home nations of the various corporations named.
Now comes the political game, and the ‘essential’ compromise which is at the heart of that game; protecting the ‘family’; and if need be, finding suitable sacrifices to satisfy the appearance of justice done.
France was quick to arrest a U.N. ambassador, Jean-Bernard Merimee, who is charged with receiving kickbacks fro the Iraqi regime. He might well be guilty, but he is likely to be that countries token sacrifice.
The Australian Government, under John Howard, is trying to mitigate the damage which threatens one of that countries major wheat exporters. AWB is one of those privatized government instrumentalities. They are also alleged to have funneled the largest portion, $US221.7 million, to Saddam’s cause. Someone will have to suffer, but finding a credible scapegoat appears to be a difficult call. The stooge certainly won’t come from board level. No doubt some troublesome manager will be rewarded with that task.
Switzerland of course, is well and truly implicated, but that ‘squeaky clean’ country is well versed in covering and dodging corruption charges. The Swiss national wealth is based on being a safe haven for corrupt money. Secrecy is the stock in trade, a product which must be protected above all else.
“Russia will investigate allegations that Russian companies and politicians were part of the massive corruption…” That should make everyone feel so much better. Volcker’s report named more than 2,200 companies and prominent politicians of colluding with Saddam’s regime. Out of those numbers we should expect a handful of ‘politically vulnerable’ suspects to be paraded before the world as a show of Russian justice.
India has managed to turn the whole affair into an ‘all singing, all dancing’ film scenario. If you can’t work out the characters, or the language, it doesn’t matter; the ensuing circus should be sufficiently entertaining. Implicated Foreign Minister ‘sacked’ – ‘resigned’ – ‘removed’ – ‘ousted’ – because he screwed up over Iran. ”India's ruling Congress party intends to investigate the involvement of any Indian individuals and companies who have been accused in the Oil for Food scandal.” The result should be the arrest and imprisonment of a group of totally unrelated miscreants. Let’s face it, plot is not the big issue in Bollywood, it is colour and movement.
The US have been quick to grab the ‘legendary Houston oilman’ Oscar Wyatt Jr. and two others - David Chalmers of BayOil (USA) and Bulgarian-born Ludmil Dionissiev of Houston and British citizen John Irving. Yes that is three others, but US justice tends to ‘overcharge’ in the first instance in the hope that something will stick. Wyatt, allegedly a loudmouthed 81 year old, has obviously annoyed someone in the US political/oil complex.
Not satisfied with their own ‘big catch’ the US is also going after British MP George Galloway. While Galloway is not a, best buddy of Blair, but he is a fellow member of parliament and we wouldn’t like to get to political in good old England. Besides, Galloway is anti-American and pro-Saddam, so he is fair game in every way for the US.
Paul Volker did a great job, within the limits of his brief. He exposed the rampant corruption and named names. More to the point, he has opened us up to the essential corruption which underpins governments, national and transnational corporations.
This is not a pretty sight and is bound, as it should, to undermine public trust in these powerful institutions. If, before this, you only thought that we were being manipulated by a bunch of self serving crooks, you no longer have any basis for doubt.
As for the UN, as it is structured, it is merely the sum of its member governments.