What is the most distrusted occupation on the planet?

Politicians would be first on my list. They have the least one-on-one access. I can always walk away from a salesperson or a lawyer that I doubted, or at least put them on hold.

I’d say lawyers come first, mainly because some are forced to defend the worst people around, and feel as if they’re doing the right thing.

Salespeople are normally good people, so I couldn’t say they’re untrustworthy because they’re passionate about what they sell.
I’d say politicians are the same way. They all feel like what they’re doing is best for the people, and just because there are a few bad apples, you can’t hate the whole bunch!

Police and doctors are somewhere high on that list too.

I would have to go with police.

I personally distrust salespeople the most, because I’ve found so few that actually believe in the product (and those that do aren’t on the personal selling level, but rather higher up in the ranks). I feel sorry for most of the people working retail, because I know that most are doing it to make ends meet, but no, I don’t trust their opinion on if those pants really do look good on me, or if that bike light is really that much better than the cheaper version.

I have to think it’s advertising people. I see so many claims in so many ads that are patently untrue or at least unverifiable and/or completely subjective – presented as fact.

I’m reminded of a scene from Then We Came to the End (a fine, funny book about a fictional ad agency) where one of the copy writers came up with a line to be featured on a retail package for some kind of food item: “Contains no Lastive Acid!” The implication was that competitors’ products kept all of the lastive acid in their lower-quality offerings. The only trouble, of course, is that there is no such thing as “lastive acid”. But all the copy writers agreed that it was a great line.

I’d put lawyers first because they profess to search for the capital T Truth and Justice, but really don’t care for truth or justice at all. They will use any means available (not any means necessary) to win a case, and argue that it is ethical to fight for their client.

Morticians.

you don’t know what they’re doing when they’re working on you and you don’t want to be there when they’re working on someone you know. like i said, you just don’t know what they’re doing.

fucking morticians

I guess, though, that “most distrusted occupation on the planet” would have to be President of the United States. After all, he (who ever he is, or whoever she may be someday) is one of the most powerful individuals in history during his term, is distrusted in a general way by almost half of all Americans, and is distrusted by billions of others around the world. It’s hard to get more distrusted than that.

Aside from that, I guess “Messiah” would be right up there, too.

@Blondesjon the whole funeral business really is a racket anyway.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard . . . what? oh shit. i thought this was a poetry thread. what were we talking about?

lenders

Dictator? You did say planet…

Blondesjon, my mother just passed away and I must say the people that handled her funeral were beyond nice and helpful. She only had $3,000 dollars of life insurance and they made sure she could be buried for that amount.

I will have to say that this is the first experience I have had with a funeral home, but these people were outstanding. They could not do enough to assist me.

I recently had dealings with a dentist who was the most unscrupulous moneygrubbing bastard I’ve run into in a long time. I also do not have tremendous faith in doctors. They usually have the god complex going strong and are too busy getting patients in and out in the prescribed period of time to listen to what I have to say about my body. I don’t like car mechanics I am not personally acquainted with, they can rake you over pretty well too. The list can go on and on. Lawyers, at least it is not a life or death situation as with a doctor.

Ah, a world where car salesmen are the most distrusted people is a kind of heaven. Looking at the planet overall I would agree with @Bellatrix that dictators are the least trusted together with their military, their police and their security services.

I vote for politicans.

Politicians,salesmen and lawyers.

Before I even clicked on your question I already had used car salesman in my mind, but that is probably just a stereotype spread by stand up comedians. When I think about it a little better, the real answer is politician. Politicians are the only people I know who can say “I never said that”, then have a video shown to them of them actually saying that, and then say “you are taking it out of context” or something.

Politicians, many of whom are lawyers; insurance salespeople; cosmetic salespeople; evangelists, especially those of the television persuasion; stock brokers.

Fluther moderator.

Note: not my personal opinion, just an observation.

Tubthumping, hysterical, pinhead, evangelists. No sure if that’s a profession or an affliction, either way those fuck-up’s are my pick.

Military recruiters?

Catholic priests are high on the list the last couple of years, I would think.

Televangelists.