Originally posted by cdtm
This goes back to "It's who you know".

Cliques and buddies watching each others back. Its like Dave Chappell and his joke about three card monty, and everyone being friends with each other but the rube, and comparing it to Comedy Central executives sitting around a table going "It's a good contract, Dave", and being akin to the friends in three card monty trying to put one over on him.

By the same token, if these buddies have a falling out, or one member gets kicked out of the group, they know where the skeletons are buried.

it's called wasta in the middle east.