Corruption is a cancer. If embedded into the fabric of society, it will slowly choke a country to death. When the society has a culture of corruption, it is difficult to dislodge it.
Examples of corruption
Policemen standing at road junctions to solicit money from minor traffic offences.
Policemen at highways who will claim that speed limits had been exceeded.
Immigration officers who will not allow a visitor with a valid visa to enter a country, or leave “because the visa was issued somewhere else”.
Paying a sum of cash “under the counter” to buy a house. The developer claims they have to pay cash to government officials to get their approval to build the houses.
Politicians and civil servants taking a cut from any project they approve.
Awarding tenders to relatives, friends, or people who pay bribes.
Selling government assets for below market price without proper tendering.
In some countries, corruption may be disguised as corporate political donations.
Consequences of corruption
Society suffers. You can never have faith in the system because you fear that compromises have been made in everything. You cannot be sure if buildings, bridges, and roads have met the specifications because you fear that builders could bribe inspectors if they have deficient work, or they have to cut costs to pay bribes. Planes, ships, ferries, trains, buses, and lifts may not be safe or comply with safety requirements. Has the servicing and parts been compromised? Foreign consumers prefer not to buy products from a country where corruption is endemic? Can you trust the standards?
Politicians and their families and cronies work together to take cuts from public projects. They hold on to power by whatever means, or they sponsor successors who will not persecute them.
The sad part is that in corrupt societies, you cannot engage in most activities without encountering demands for bribery; life becomes an endless series of payment of bribes. Anyone who has a little power over you can demand a payment if you need his/her help.
Corrupt societies reward people for the wrong skills Success in life will be a result not of skills but of cleverness in playing the corruption game. It depends on who you know rather than how smart you are. Easy money comes to those who enjoy the patronage of the politicians. There is no competition in business, so businesses never need to improve their services or products. The door is virtually closed off to anyone unless he/she plays the game of giving bribes to the decision makers and their masters.
The judiciary system will not be fair, so you live in fear. Criminals can get away with acquittals or lower sentences. Crooked cops can arrest you on trumped-up charges. The rich can get away with murder; the poor end up in jail.
And of course, the electoral system is also corrupted to keep the same leaders in power.
Opponents of corruption end up in jail.
Corruption must be one of the main causes of poverty in many countries, as well as an impediment to progress. For a list of the most corrupted countries in the world, look at http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781359.html Needless to say, the more corrupted countries are also the poorest countries.
Under what conditions will corruption thrive? In an autocratic society where there is no real democratic rights (as in a dictatorship, or in a so-called democracy where people do not have much rights). Leaders wield so much power that nobody can get them to account for any corrupt act or conflict of interest. There is no transparency and the press does not have real freedom. The judiciary system and the police toe the line of the corrupted leaders. Corruption erodes human rights. Corruption is the price a society pays for the lack of democratic rights.
Can we rid ourselves of this evil?
Do I think it will be easy? Of course, I do not. If I am short of ideas, it is understandable. Every issue of public interest will be complex. Resolution begins with discussion and a meeting of minds.
In a corrupt, the people can feel powerless and helpless. How do they get rid of corrupt leaders if there is no real democracy?
The international community has to play a part. The media, union movement, international aid agencies, and NGO’s may be the parties that can play a concerted role to highlight corruption and its impact on various countries, and put pressure on the corrupt leaders. The international banking system must clean itself of corrupt money. Multi-national corporations should re-affirm their stand against corruption, not just pay lip service, and tie foreign aid with a charter against corruption that governments must sign and act on. The whole world should take a stand against corruption.
The local media and people have to start the change by making known their disgust of corruption.
Obviously, corrupted people will never let an honest leader emerge. That’s asking for trouble. Perhaps there will be a leader who will play the game until he/she makes it to the top, then gathers enough strength and support to change society. Is there a way anything that we can do to support honest leaders?
Or the people will have to elect an honest politician from an opposition party. Even then, he or she will have an uphill battle to eradicate corruption. This brings to mind Cory Aquino, ex-president of the Philippines, who attempted to do just that.
It goes to say that corruption must be nipped in the bud. Do not give corruption any chance to take hold and become the way of life.
I am keen about a shame row (borrowing from the “death row”) or hall of shame (“hall of fame”) to shame the leaders of corrupted countries on the world wide web. Put up their photographs and list the wealth they have accumulated.
What can humanity do about corruption?
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2 comments:
This posting was written with feeling, sincerity and conviction. I don't dispute the nature and consequences of corruption but I can't agree on the conditions under which corruption thrive nor some of the measures to counter it given by the writer.
The writer said corruption thrived in autocratic countries and those with limited democracy. Corruption is a human weakness and it has occurred in all societies since the beginning of civilization. The list of corrupted countries shows that corruption to various degrees cuts across nations of all kinds. The writer stressed on corruption in government leaders
and officials but little was mentioned of corruption in the business communities world wide.
The writer also advocated that international bodies such as media, unions,aid agencies,MNCs,NGOs should highlight corruption and applied pressure on the corrupted leaders. All these measures have been in use with limited success.He also suggested tying foreign aids to commitment by receivers to fight corruption and anti-money laundering measures to be taken by banks. Al these are being done with little success. Foreign aids are sometimes a source of corruption and anti-money laundering is a potential trap of corruption. Corruption in a country is also beyond the reach of these international bodies,which may be accused of meddling in the internal affair of a nation.
The battle ground for corruption has to be in the country
itself. The people,the media,political parties the government( no one will openly back corruption),the schools and educational institutions and anti-corruption agencies,NGOS have to campaign against it and people be educated on it. A culture of anti-corruption prevails in the society. People's power must press for and vote in a central government, which will put into a system to fight and banish corruption,as happened in some countries.After anti-corruption is institutionalized,the political will and integrity of top
leaders will see to its effectiveness and sustainability. This will happen in a good society.
ur article is very interesting and i am interested in corruption issues since i am writing a thesis on it. i wanted to ask about the first lines where u have written that corruption is a cancer. are them ur words, if not can u tell me where did u cite them from?thanks
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