Trust Your Government Like a Wolf

I spend a lot of time working with Governments, my profession is closely related to the operations of state and local governments. I had someone ask me once if I noted a lot of fraud during my interaction with these government entities and I would like to explain what I do see and how it is a microcosm of larger things. Just as Enron was a microcosm of larger things. There's a definite pattern that can be clearly identified within governments or what I'll refer to as large power systems. Maybe I shouldn't even use the word large. Where there's power there are abuses of power. My experience with state and local governments is that there really isn't a major fraud problem at the ground level, in the details of their book keeping and spending. You do have problems with entities like the City of Bell, California from time to time but even those are indicative of the fact that the real abuses take place by people of authority and often aren't illegal at all. They are decisions made well within the purview of their authority.
So the problem isn't fraud the problem really is one of abuse by those in authority. I think this issue is systemic. The same problem existed with Enron and as we've seen with the housing bubble it exists at the level of the US Government as well. Where there's power there's corruption. You can't avoid it. I believe that is one of the major messages of the reign of Saul, David, and Solomon. Even the Lords chosen were corrupted. Only one is fit to rule, and in the mean time we better be sure we aren't letting our guard down. Trust your government like you would a wolf.