The Attacks – 6: White-Collar Crime – Greed

White-collar crime includes fraud, forgery, bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion on a large scale, companies swindling companies and people, companies defrauding governments funded by the taxpayer; cartels, monopolies, and so it goes on. All motivated by GREED.

We don’t bother about it too much until we see a real case reported in the press.  It’s easy for both onlookers and operators to forget this IS criminal activity, it IS sin, and its bottom line is usually pain and suffering for someone.

“He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself, or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.”
Proverbs 22:17

“The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of DEATH.”
Proverbs 21:6

My inspiration for this drawing came from a recent newspaper report about an elderly couple who were defrauded out of their life-savings and left in debt by the combined efforts of a shonky lawyer and a shady investment company.  I used the idea because it is here that we see the effect of white-collar crime on real people – a middle-aged, honest working couple who, trusting their “advisors”, have just unwittingly signed away their life savings on a crooked deal.

White-Collar Crime : Fraud

Here is a more recent report in the New Zealand Herald of the havoc caused in the lives of ordinary people by the actions of Blue Chip boss Mark Bryers, who has had a total of 73 charges laid against him.  Unfortunately, bringing these people to some form of justice does not mend the damage they have caused.

Right now the bugs are well and truly coming out of the woodwork.  Finance institutions and banks going to the wall, major players in the manufacturing industries going offshore and laying off staff while paying their top brass outrageous salaries, individuals burned by plummeting real estate prices after being encouraged to borrow with no equity – all of these things are symptomatic of greed operating unchecked in commerce.

Cunning as ever, the devil sows the seeds for this greed with the same stealth as with drugs and drink – small frauds to start with – “nice lttle successes”, then gradually getting bigger as the serpent’s grip tightens.  Someone somewhere said very truly:

“No-one goes off the rails overnight.  You get into these sins one small step at a time, and each time the process gets easier until you are well and truly enmeshed in wrongdoing.”

It is shocking how many high-flyers and CEOs in these companies lined their own pockets with shareholders’ and lenders’ money, knowing full well their companies were foundering. The sight of these people, rushing in private jets and limos to persuade government – the taxpayers like you and I who are struggling to make ends meet – to bail them out of their self-made difficulties is nauseating.

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”

Saint Paul in Romans 12:19-20, quoting Proverbs 25:22

None of us are in any doubt about the seriousness of the current financial situation. Take up a Bible, or go to BibleGateway.com and read Proverbs.  I believe there is a purpose behind all our current woes.

The Creator is starting to call in the cards.