Rich People and Politics?

[Sved]

Originally Posted by AzureAussie

From an Australian perspective it's hard to understand why some very rich people, like Taksin but Berlusconi in Italy would be another example, even bother to be involved in government.



What's the benefit?

Well Berlusconi would most likely be in jain unless he signed off some laws giving himself immunity

Originally Posted by jaibaan

In California, there is currently a battle of the billionaires (or very close to it) in the gubernatorial race. The job pays just over $200,000. It has been reported that the current governor does not even accept the salary.
.

He doesn't. He also commutes with his private jet and stays in an hotel when hes working


To answer the question:

1) Need to be recognized.

2) Consolidation of power.

3) Wants to do good thing

[Sved]

Originally Posted by Khun Don

When you have the money you need the power status and titles politics brings to go with it?
Not always the case, of course, in the UK, it seems, just making a big enough donation to a major political party you will get honours and titles!

People still sell their noble titles for quite a lot. Through the history, and present day included, new money seems obsessed with gaining the status of old money.

[Khun Don]

Problem in the UK is that businessmen, via the Honours List compiled by the government, can enter the Upper House and, totally unelected by the population, have a very real role in determining legislation. They can even be appointed to government posts -Lord Sugar of "Amstrad" fame-or should that be infamy?-is a prime example of this.

[David_Loves_Ubonwan]

Peter Mandelson...

David

[Sved]

Well it's common in many countries that career diplomats are being replaced as ambassadors by people who are "being rewarded" and let's not forget all other government jobs. In fact the Greek crisis is largely being attributed by the appointment to such jobs, which where lifelong!

[David_Loves_Ubonwan]

Originally Posted by Sved

In fact the Greek crisis is largely being attributed by the appointment to such jobs, which where lifelong!

They mentioned on the news last weekend that, when talking about the Greek crisis, such things that there is a hospital in Athens that employs 40 gardeners but does not have a garden...

David

[Khun Don]

Originally Posted by David_Loves_Ubonwan

Peter Mandelson...

David

Well, at least he was elected-once upon a time.
Now believed busy preparing the new leader of New Labour for his role-makes a change from innocently lolling around on some Russian's yacht, I suppose.

[Sved]

Originally Posted by David_Loves_Ubonwan

They mentioned on the news last weekend that, when talking about the Greek crisis, such things that there is a hospital in Athens that employs 40 gardeners but does not have a garden...

David

They also had to raise their retirement age from 53

Seriously;

Greeks are full of gardeners without gardens so to speak. Such jobs were given as a reward and that's a system which been going on for many many years.

[peiyan]

Hope that the rich politician is equally rich at heart and mind as he/she is in material wealth...

[Jasonkoh82]

Therefore when a rich politician perform in the almost duties, they need to remember the speech in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.