Corruption: is Italy a step ahead?
thehindu.com
thehindu.com
It's incredible that the Romans were once the most organized force in Europe, and they were already corrupt!!
Nobody does corruption like Italy.
Aaah my daily dose of generalizations. Feel better now, thanks.
But corruption in semi-functioning democracy is a strange phenomenon.
It's a cultural thing that goes very deep. But it's also like a chicken and egg problem, where you can't get rid of corruption unless you have corruption free judicial and political systems!
It's like it takes a very well functioning society, to have a very well functioning society.
On the small or individual scale it is like a Mexican standoff. You can't suddenly start acting 100% legally and morally in a sea of corruption without also being much worse off. Not just economically worse off, but hell your life might be in danger if you're too good about reporting all the wrong you see.
On the larger scale, even hundreds or thousands of heroes taking on risks to do the right thing, are not enough to purge endemic corruption.
The people's cynicism... or should I say realism, also tends to sustain corruption.
Corruption is not something like a dictator where a nation could rise up and smash it to bits by force.
You can get rid of dictators like that, but you can't do anything about corruption.
I honestly don't know what the solution is.