Omerta, the code of silence

Continuing from my observation about how a majority of good politicians always become whittled down to a minority at the level of decision making, the same thing happens in all organisations where deliberate harm is done. Omerta is the Mafia code of silence, which is effective through the net of protection afforded to all versions of Mafia around the world, where they kill both you and your family if you turn them in. Of course such extremes are not required or offered elsewhere, but are all possible by the authorities being an unofficial part of the local Mafia otherwise the law would apply. In fact in large organisations most such threats carry now physical threats at all, some people do get sacked for squealing on bad practices, but most are happy to keep their jobs and not risk the consequences of what I call my 'Ken Livingstone principle', doing the right thing because you should, but do nothing and by doing so collude with the perpetrator as with your voice they will probably be forced to stop.

I will repeat the Ken Livingstone principle. If you are not forced to do the right thing by law you won't, even though assuming you actually even have a conscience you know it is wrong by doing so. He exploited this apparent freedom (as his character will be marked forever) by breaking many overt promises and then explaining he did it as he was allowed to. Thus allowing himself to be used as an example for being a total arsehole.

Therefore the mechanism is when the majority of fellow employees become aware a crime is being committed within their company they have a choice to expose it, but fear of their own potential loss is nearly always greater than the benefits to every one of the victims. Until people learn their own character will be so much greater and personal record in life for helping so many people, they will allow crimes to go on indefinitely, even though unlike the Mafia most police are not blinded to murder or anything else and will protect you from the evil employers. But by not even risking it every single observer who drops the heroics for selfish reasons becomes a co-conspirator, and under English law as guilty as the principal. Then if someone else blows the whistle in theory at least they can also be convicted if any crime is proven. That ought to act as some level of deterrent in itself but they don't think of that unless it's too late.