theGman

 

  Are you allowed to do that? I understood (through rumour) that places can't be left empty in Munich.   ETA. Found the info here...if I am understanding it correctly.

  The point is though, that I (government, society, the world) don't care. It's only a problem for the companies involved. Bribes are bad, so bribes are illegal. End of. We need to stand up to it.   It's like all those massive companies not paying tax (Amazon, Starbucks etc). They threaten leaving the country and taking the jobs away with it. But we need to stand up to it.

  Exactly, hence compliance laws. The pressure has to come from government and society. Companies aren't gonna do it by themselves.

  Bingo. It's exactly this. If Mike's company goes under because they didn't give bribes in Angola then it's a shame for the job losses but there is a bigger picture here. But every economy is built on this system so it's gonna be damn hard to change. But it's not a sustainable model so it will have to change somehow.

  It's the same as anything, two wrongs don't make a right. Don't do business in Angola. Report your competitors. If it has to stop, then it has to start somewhere.

So, these stories are exactly why compliance should exist, and with legal consequences for non-compliance. These practices need to be stamped out.

  Fair enough, the guy is a clearly a massive twat and deserves everything he got.

Meh, I just don't agree. The man was trying to prove his innocence and he got screwed over by a bunch of lawyers. He's been a fool, for sure, but the lawyers should have either won the case or told him to drop it much earlier.     Twat of the day? Doesn't get my vote, but I guess i'm in the minority here.

You don' go into any details about your area of business or your company so how can any of us say? But compliance is there for a reason. I know that in Pharma, for example, there is quite the clampdown right now...which is good for all of us...and would certainly have non-internal consequences. Sure it's annoying but you aren't the only person going through this. Your Asian partners are going to have to get used to it if they want to continue doing business with Europe.

  He's beyond reprehensible now. As the leader of a nation it is unacceptable to behave the way he does. I wouldn't accept that behaviour from a 4 year old child.   The dude could walk down the street pissing on homeless people and setting fire to puppies and it wouldn't make any difference. His supporters will continue to support him and his critics will continue to call him a disgrace. Just have to wait and see what happens next year.

  He's hardly a twat. He stood up for himself when he truly believed he had been falsely accused of something.

  If they later earn more, then they will put more into the system in taxes later too. But in any case, university educated people are vital to the economy. They are the doctors running our hospitals. The engineers building our bridges, roads and railways. They are the scientists advancing health and technology and propping up the entire economy. I really don't understand why higher education is not better funded.

  Farage has already said he'll make a pact with Johnson if he promises a no deal exit...which I believe he will do. So that will unite all leave voters.   I fear remain voters will then be split between Libs, Labour and Greens.

  It's a funky place. We parked on the Spanish side. Waited for a plane to land and then walked across the runway into Gibraltar. Cobbled streets and red letter boxes in the Spanish sun. With a few monkeys for good measure.