gerald325i Discussion

gerald325i posted:
    Gil, I grew up in Argentina where corruption is rampant, and I have lived in Italy for the past 3 years where it is not any better. I despise corruption, bureaucracy and lack of honesty/integrity. I see a lot of deception in forex, lies, and greed. Don't get me wrong, I'm a little greedy myself but won't get a cent at the expense of other's misfortunes. But, for some here, it is a way of life. Some of these guys steal a mediocre free EA, repackage it, throw in a few trades with maybe a better ea or manual trades, forge some statements and watch the suckers spend their dimes...I've read a few of Steve's and your comments on other people's EAs trying to get proof or debunk some of these thieves...I'm in too. Not sure if you have seen it, but anyone putting in an EA in the review section with high marks and no details will get a zero grade from me to make them come down in rating...I want proof! :)

I like Buenos Aires, but I saw the corruption as well when we lived there for a short time. I didn't care for Italy myself but most people seem to love it. I guess coming from a German family now in America, I see some of the German traits that shine through in 'give me the facts and now'. hahaha..

Russia seems to be on a whole new level on corruption. There is an index on corruption and I can't remember where to find it but it is done annually and shows the level of corruption of each country/state. The Russian states all seem to end up in the bottom there. :) European countries (Western) seem to do the best.

I realize it is not their fault, just the culture they grew up in and I can't blame them for that. However, I can choose to avoid them.....

Problem with honesty is that most people don't want it. But, if you manage other people's funds and you are working with someone that doesn't want real honesty or they will pull their money, then they are not the right investor and will only cause problems later. Like Madoff's victims. I have lost a substantial amount with a Ponzi where the guy went to jail for like 15 years. Young guy tooo! My fault, my stupidity, my responsibility and I had to accept that. But I wish there were more people like Solar who would have debunked him prior! :) Dishonesty is probably my least favorite quality in a person. :)



<quote=forexma>
    Gerald,
All of my life I was lied, scammed and misleaded wheh I was totally unexperienced. Here, in the forex world honest people are like a gold mine - very rare and hard to find. With the risk of putting myself sometimes into embarassing situation I do everything I can to expose scammers and liars who just never give up. Welcome to the team.
</quote>

SOLAR, Yah, your posts are hilarious! I enjoy the train wreck you seem to cause at every corner. I don't believe it is just FOREX. I have done a lot of different business and lies seem common to most professions these days. However, with so many people hungry for good returns, it is no wonder how easy it is for these guys to rip people off.

Gil, I travel to Germany regularly. My first trip to Frankfurt was in 93 for 2 days and I hated it...the only German I came across was to ask him to take a photo and he must have been some old gestapo guy and cussed me on the street (so my view got distorted)...But when I reluctantly returned in 08 my view flipped quick...I loooooove Germany, it is the closest to the US than any other European country...no speeding, no breaking the law, clean, people actually work, wonderful. The food sucks though...

Italy is great...if you're a tourist. People complain that there are no jobs, yet gas stations close for lunch on the weekends...and every driver thinks you are an inferior being...can't wait to get out of here...3 months and counting...Food is great though.

Now for corruption...nothing tops Afghanistan...

haha...

Yes, Germany amazed me as well, but agree with you on the food! :)

Welcome back and don't get too fat!

Gil

bluemele posted: Russia seems to be on a whole new level on corruption. There is an index on corruption and I can't remember where to find it but it is done annually and shows the level of corruption of each country/state. The Russian states all seem to end up in the bottom there. :) European countries (Western) seem to do the best.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

The Kiwis are right up there at the top again. Hardly any corruption and we like to call a spade a spade - doesn't go down too well at times. In saying that, I wish you well on your new venture.

Yeah, I don't agree with it some of it... It doesn't take on a same level playfield or an objective test/measurement. You see, most US Citizens resent politicians and view them as scum (and they may be) BUT the law applies to them as well...if they are found guilty they go to jail. So where they may be corrupted, the LAW is stronger than any one politician and there is no impunity. In some other countries, not only are politicians corrupt, but they get away with it and the system covers them up. So a perception can be distorted: what to a US person might seem like corruption, in another country is just little peanuts. Americans only realize this when they get out of their borders...which is not often enough for most...then they get the 'I can't wait to go back home again.'
A person in Africa knows more by watching US tv to tell you...you guys don't know corruption...which in my non-biased view is very true.

Yes, I totally understand what you are saying. A few months back it became public knowledge that some politicians in the UK were dipping their hand in the cookie jar claiming a few thousand here and there for unnecessary items/mortgages/second houses. The whole country were up in arms about it. I was reading something recently about Argentina. When Menem's bank accounts with $10 million were frozen the Argentine people were apparently surprised that it was such a small amount.

Not only that, he didn't do time, and if there is a trial it will take 30 years and some judge will get money and throw the trial out for some technicality. And then Menem will win (buy) some seat in the senate and he'll pay more judges to just forget and he'll race his cars and parade with models and it is just a circus man. There is something that I learned very early: Every English speaking country derives its law from the UK (which might not be perfect, but it works ok [and yes it comes from the Roman carta magna]) so they are successful countries. Look at South Africa, the only oasis in a desert to be poetic. Now look at Spanish speaking countries...the Spaniards came to steal, rape, pillage, they installed puppets and everyone learned to survive, so all they know now is corruption. The Italians are the descendants of the great Roman Empire, so no need to prove anything to anyone and no need to be any better...it just doesn't get any more perfect. And they have a drug called Calcio...or soccer that keeps them busy with something to talk about. The Asians...they have a new word called 'honor.' Which most Middle Easterners have never heard before. It is all cultural, but it CAN be taught: Look at the same map and compare the corruption rating for Argentina and Chile: what's the difference?? A strong hand to teach law...BUT the hand must lead by example...not the Russian model of socialism to the masses but not to the guys on top...
Gotta love cultures...you cannot study them, you have to live in them to understand them.

Even if you live them, it is all referenced from previous experiences and judgement is formed from those experiences. 2 people will not have the same interpretation unless you have similar histories and many other similarities.

That is why FX is so interesting to me. :) I get to travel daily... haha...

Gil

All this talk of corruption reminded me of a funny experience. Two girlfriends and I were back packing it through North Africa. We had jumped off the truck in Morocco and said we would catch up with them in Tunisia (somehow) which meant we had to go by train through Morocco and Algeria. I probably had a couple of the most scariest moments of my life back then being fresh-faced and naive not to mention being from the least corrupted country in the world (NZ). This was back in 1993 (give or take a year) and Algeria was in civil war with Algiers being under curfew etc.

Anyway, while in Morocco we stayed with a local Moroccan chap (which really wasn't allowed - at least back then). He wasn't even able to walk down the street with us because you had to be a government designated tour guide to walk with Western people back then so walking down the street with three Western women was a big no-no. My two girlfriends liked to smoke that wacky baccy (hashish) and, if caught, would be imprisoned for something like 10 years. So our local Morrocan friend offered to get it from a safe source because there were a lot of undercover policemen selling it so they could catch foreign tourists out. So off he went and came back with a nice supply. When we asked him who the dealer was it turned out that it was the local policeman who was one of his good friends 😀

Hmmm.. How many times have I been 'Bagged & Tagged' by the Mexican Police all for 300.00 or whatever my ATM limit is for one day. :)

Makes it easier when you have a few cervezas....

To be super young again... :)

😁 You're telling me. If only I could do it all over again. I hope you didn't get your photo taken on those zebras (a.k.a. painted donkeys) while you were under the influence 😲