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Comment by nzmsv | Hacker News Reader

I'm thinking more and more people will eventually realize that it's not so black and white: corruption is a matter of degree. Boeing getting the 737 Max past the FAA. Total inaction of the SEC on the stock market manipulation by the hedge funds. These cases show that corruption is alive and well in the USA. Is there less corruption than in Russia? Sure. But human societies the world over have similar ailments, and corruption is one of them. Sticking on labels is harmful whether it is done to sick people or countries.

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I’m not sure that you understand your own position. Yes, corruption is a spectrum. Color values are a spectrum. Politics is a spectrum. Two examples on a spectrum are not equivalent because they’re on the same spectrum, if that’s what you’re implying. The spectrum itself exists to make distinctions between the cases that lie on it. You can’t claim equivalence between all cases on the same spectrum by that fact alone.

Though giving quite a show, Trump ended up leaving his place and Boden or his collaborators never were arrested for not showing up at the police station while in a coma. Putin just showed the world he is of a different advice.

Sure, nothing is black or white, but that doesn't mean that some shades are way darker than others.

Yes, Putin by arresting Navalny or "killing Magnitsky" is showing the world that he is way darker than, for example, G.W.Bush whose sins [1] just pale in comparison.

I agree though that corruption on all levels is a systematic problem in Russia that is not getting better.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War

There are levels of corruption in all countries. But some we trust less in certain areas.

Russia has also engaged in the most sophisticated Olympic doping regimen in history. These guys' corruption knows no bounds. It's a culture of dishonesty.

You just made an insulting generalization about a country of 150M people

Don't confuse Russians with Russia.

why does it say Russia and culture though? Saying this is culture based on what Russian government is doing is like saying American culture is about grabbing women by a p*ssy based on Trump's behaviour.

I don't believe they were the only ones. Maybe the most sophisticated, but Jamaica for example, doesn't even have to be sophisticated about it ;)

There is a certain cycle team that comes to mind as well.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely

> But human societies the world over have similar ailments, and corruption is one of them

I think the point is that some societies are BUILT on corruption. It's not the same as places where there's a bit of corruption in somewhat functioning bureaucracies.

Not sure how your whataboutism invalidates the concern.

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