Follow my pointing finger in the direction of the always-diligent Watching A4E for their coverage of the decline and fall of the A4E empire. Uncannily, the wider media seem to have noticed that government contract companies tend to be run by shady chisellers who soak up vast amounts of money for delivering distinctly ropey results. Those business-friendly types in government haven't been quite so perspicacious. Last time we checked - two weeks into a perfect storm of shameful news - guess who's the preferred bidder on a major prisoner rehabilitation contract?
Of course nothing can discourage the definitely authentic commenters who drop by to say things like 'at least they're TRYING to help people,' 'nobody's PERFECT,' 'who among us HASN'T committed major institutional fraud,' and so on.
Update: The Void also doing a bang-up job monitoring the weapons-grade bullshit being manufactured by the government as they frantically try to staunch the bleeding.
My last job was for a 'work experience provider'. They lied about what my job role was, lied to their 'parent' funders (who were scum too), lied in their bid about what they 'provided', lied to the DWP and lied to the 'customers'. They lied, lied and lied. Even equipment they claimed for, like Blackberries and laptops were being sold on via the boss' sideline - a computer/mobile phone shop. The larger finders could have been informed - but like I said, they were filth too.
ReplyDeleteI lasted three months. He sacked at least one person a week (it was a woman in late-stage pregnancy before me). Before I was gone, he was in the process of squeezing the 'community' criteria into cleaning up his friends' fast-food shops for (under 25s') dole. When I returned to demand money he owed me, a 'volunteer' was sat at my desk. The 'project' itself lasted about three more months. The boss - who had two very nice brand new cars - showed up one morning and told the remaining employees they were all sacked and they'd get a week's pay as a Golden Fuck Off. And that was that. I don't celebrate anyone losing a job, but frankly they were all scum too (any suggestion of solidarity on the most minor of matters, and they'd turn the other way). I don't even miss the wages - they were shite too, and he'd even 'forget' to pay the staff until we all harassed him to pay up.
This country is run on rackets. If the thriving trade in cocaine, loan-sharking and people-trafficking is a legacy of the Thatcherism, then the widespread pimping of poverty is a legacy of Blair. He just gave racketeering a smiling face, and dragged the public sector into being a less violent form of organised crime, with mandatory CRB checks (which is another racket!). Our current 'wars' (theft + massacres) are blatant rackets. As we're all now aware, our media is little more than a racket. The City is Wall St.'s very own 'racket department' (so how corrupt is that?). All the sacked youth workers, FE teachers, social workers etc. are now being absorbed into this world of filth. As poverty goes through the roof, A4E pimping agencies be waiting in the wings, to gnaw the bones of a rotting society.
UK PLC is a racket. At least the tattooed gentlemen with guns bullshit less. And narcotics are a damn sight more rewarding - and much better 'value for money' - than A4E.
Crisis itself is the new racket. Endless opportunities for suitably dynamic individuals.
DeleteYou can't help but see the rocketing scale of metal theft - literally stripping public buildings, railway lines etc of anything of value - as cutely symbolic of the age.
Like the people in Dark Ages Europe breaking down old Roman buildings for blocks to shore up their houses.