The Jolly Roger

is one of the older ensigns in the world,
as old as global trade and city states.
King Henry VIII and other absolute
rulers refined the values behind piracy
before it became fully fledged,
with their self justified theft
from less well formed states,
and from each other on the high seas.

Piracy is the foundation of every
Kleptocracy in history, every empire
is built on rule by theft. In the USA
piracy became law made by lawyers.
When did you last see a poor american lawyer?

Tax evasion is the new piracy.
Where a single multi-national corporation
earns more every year than the GDP
of most third world countries-combined,
 with their advanced new technologies
on which the new world runs-what
else to do but salt away the money?

International banks, who operate
through secretive micro-nation states,
many of them formerly British colonies,
are the new pirates best defenders.

Rhyming Slang

In the1960's 'going for a Barclays'
was cockney rhyming slang for have a wank.
Given the admitted fixing of the Libor rate
by Barclays Bank, perhaps the meaning
should be amended to 'a covert measure
of combined theft, trespass, and false witness
in which the values of the person intruded
on would feel utterly undermined'.
Many a youth before going out to riot
might message their friends
with 'going for a Barclay's after the riot?'
were they so inclined, to complete their pleasures.

Life seems strange when yester-years
private joys and moments of tender self interest
are occluded by brasher new dishonesties.