The Off Topic Topic

[Liep]

Our future PM is now involved in his 5th or 6th scandal about tax evasion, abuse of power, misusing public funds, etc. This time he apparently 'forgot' to pay taxes for suits he received from party funds (all parties are subsidized by the state).

Yet he still remains well ahead in the polls. Yay us.

[The Larch]

It's not a crime to be unemployed.

Gaps in employment history do raise red flags with some employers.

Over a longer career maybe, but as a young guy that is still starting out I don't think it'd be such a big deal, and moreso in this economy. It depends on local business culture, of course.

[Jacob]

Hey the Larch, are you following the case of that politician who got shot recently? She was mayor of Leon or something like that?

[The Larch]

Hey the Larch, are you following the case of that politician who got shot recently? She was mayor of Leon or something like that?

Yup, head of the provincial government. It's a shocker because nothing like that ever happens over here, but it basically boils down to a persona vendetta.

[Jacob]

Hey the Larch, are you following the case of that politician who got shot recently? She was mayor of Leon or something like that?

Yup, head of the provincial government. It's a shocker because nothing like that ever happens over here, but it basically boils down to a persona vendetta.

How representative of the general level of corruption and mutual back-scratching in the political culture is the deceased?

[The Larch]

Hey the Larch, are you following the case of that politician who got shot recently? She was mayor of Leon or something like that?

Yup, head of the provincial government. It's a shocker because nothing like that ever happens over here, but it basically boils down to a persona vendetta.

How representative of the general level of corruption and mutual back-scratching in the political culture is the deceased?

She's a fair representative of what is called a "cacique" over here, some local political honcho who has a finger in every pot in his domain. There are a few like that over here, normally entrenched in provincial government, which is probably the most corrupt and less overseen level of government, which has promted some calls for its severe reform or outright abolition in the last few years.

[Jacob]

She's a fair representative of what is called a "cacique" over here, some local political honcho who has a finger in every pot in his domain. There are a few like that over here, normally entrenched in provincial government, which is probably the most corrupt and less overseen level of government, which has promted some calls for its severe reform or outright abolition in the last few years.

So she's a representative of the corrupt part of the establishment, rather than a representative of how the establishment as a whole works. Makes sense.

[The Larch]

She's a fair representative of what is called a "cacique" over here, some local political honcho who has a finger in every pot in his domain. There are a few like that over here, normally entrenched in provincial government, which is probably the most corrupt and less overseen level of government, which has promted some calls for its severe reform or outright abolition in the last few years.

So she's a representative of the corrupt part of the establishment, rather than a representative of how the establishment as a whole works. Makes sense.

Yeah, the vendetta was provoked when a former protege who had been working for the provincial government and been close to her fell out of favour, was kicked out, and taken to court over the excessive salary she received while on the provincial payroll. This week courts sentenced her to return around 10k euros to the government and to pay judicial costs and that seems to be the reason for the snapping. There's lots of other weirdness around as well, but that's the core part AFAIK and with current information.

[Capetan Mihali]

It seems like modern Spain has left the shadow of stereotypical Latin outright corruption far behind.  Being there, I didn't get the sense that sliding a 20 euro note to an official along with your documents was going to do anything positive for you.

[The Larch]

It seems like modern Spain has left the shadow of stereotypical Latin outright corruption far behind.  Being there, I didn't get the sense that sliding a 20 euro note to an official along with your documents was going to do anything positive for you.

Corruption here is mostly about big stuff and through administrative channels. Bribing public servants by sliding a note or giving a "tip" for a service they should provide anyway has never been a thing AFAIK.

[Capetan Mihali]

Corruption on bidding for large projects, etc. seems to be present almost everywhere, to varying degrees.  Without even assessing the extent to which different types of "corrupt" practices have just been legalized and incorporated into the legitimate system.

[Ideologue]

It's not a crime to be unemployed.

Gaps in employment history do raise red flags with some employers.

Over a longer career maybe, but as a young guy that is still starting out I don't think it'd be such a big deal, and moreso in this economy. It depends on local business culture, of course.

We should also all remember that El Larcho es de la Espana.   Spain does give some hope--that eventually it'll become so normal that HR will stop using it as a screen.  Of course, there still won't be jobs, but at least it'll be less unfair.

[The Larch]

Well, at this point in time it's quite normal. If HR goons implement a "if you've been unemployed for longer than (insert an arbitrary period of time) then you're essentially unemployable anymore" we'll end up with an unemployable lost generation.

[sbr]

Well, at this point in time it's quite normal. If HR goons implement a "if you've been unemployed for longer than (insert an arbitrary period of time) then you're essentially unemployable anymore" we'll end up with an unemployable lost generation.

Along with a generation of record corporate profits and booming stock markets.

[Iormlund]

Well, at this point in time it's quite normal. If HR goons implement a "if you've been unemployed for longer than (insert an arbitrary period of time) then you're essentially unemployable anymore" we'll end up with an unemployable lost generation.

I'm guessing we already have one, made up of 40+ yo dudes whose employer went under or were laid off in an ERE.