My rant on corruption.

[capsulecorpjx]

One of the root problems in many countries like those in Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico etc ... is the rampant corruption of Public Officials.

If I was the head of state, the first thing I'd do is pass laws detailing the punishment for taking bribes, stealing or acting against public interest.

Second create role-specific exams for those seaking government jobs, so we don't get morons making the decisions. (Better an economic professor getting the commerce-secretary job then say a friend of the Governor).

Create an anti-corruption force, have them interview civilians about which officials are asking for bribes, stealing money or putting their cronies in power. Try those officials in court, if there is enough evidence, have them thrown in jail and their wealth confiscated. If there is some evidence, but no concrete evidence, have them fired at least, just to be safe.

Do that and do it often. The officials that are still on the job, and the new ones that are coming in will be fearful. It's not just severity of punishment, it's also frequency of prosecution.

Once you stop the economic drain and civilian resentment that comes from corrupt government, you can start building your country.

[dee-u]

I beg to disagree, it is not only the Public Officials but down to the ordinary employee and perhaps to most civilians also.

Could you provide a lecturing here in our country also? Much to my dismay our country is corrupt also.

Second create role-specific exams for those seaking government jobs, so we don't get morons making the decisions. (Better an economic professor getting the commerce-secretary job then say a friend of the Governor).

The above is specially true in my case, whilst I have the credentials still I am beaten by people who has the proper connections.

[System_Error]

When corruption is so spread out and deep rooted in the fundamental structure, you end up with layers and layers of corruption that reinforce each other (which includes society's cultural acceptance). It's a problem that is near impossible to fix. If anything, attacking the incentives of corruption is the way to go (i think), but how do you reduce the incentives or make it too risky of a prize?

[Shaggy Hiker]

What's your power base? If the system is corrupt in the majority, which is less extreme than what System Error suggested, but still bad enough, then who will be putting you in power? Will you be dropped from heaven on a resentful lot? Will you come up through this system with a reputation for honest incorruptability yet still have the support of the corrupt system? Even if you do, will that corrupt system then give up its wicked ways because of your goodness and not simply undermine you at every turn?

[FunkyDexter]

This is a controversial view point but the only way I've ever come across of stamping out corruption once it's become endemic is a military coup. I was out in Nigeria when they had the first military coup in the eighties and for a while after that things improved pretty dramatically. Corruption didn't dissapear but the scale of it certainly lessened. Of course, the first coup (which seemed genuinely motivated by a reaction against the corruption that preceded it) was overthrown by a second coup, then a third and so on. Each time the motivation for the coup slipped further down the scale toward a desire for power and the corruption came back in spades.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Once the legitimate succession to power becomes the use of force, why should it be limited to only those with a pure motive?

[SurfDemon]

Once the legitimate succession to power becomes the use of force, why should it be limited to only those with a pure motive?

Very wise words oh Shaggy one.

[FunkyDexter]

why should it be limited to only those with a pure motive?

I doubt it would be. I think there have been occassions in history (right into the twentieth century) where it has been but it's not a solution I'd want to rely on.

[abhijit]

I beg to disagree, it is not only the Public Officials but down to the ordinary employee and perhaps to most civilians also.

Could you provide a lecturing here in our country also? Much to my dismay our country is corrupt also.



The above is specially true in my case, whilst I have the credentials still I am beaten by people who has the proper connections.

I agree with dee-u. In 1992, I stood in the line outside the Road Transport Office to get my first driver's license. There was an oral test being given to everybody. I thought the questions were randomly being administered. The girl in front of me got an easy question like "identify a "NO ENTRY" sign".
I got all sorts of difficult questions and they asked me to come back the next day. The trick was to keep a tenner in the application forms, so that the "random test" would ease up on you. I did not keep a tenner in the sheets and got rejected seven times, before they couldn't fail me any more. By this time, I had got all the laws and all the traffic signs committed to memory.

This was in Mumbai, India.

[capsulecorpjx]

I agree with dee-u. In 1992, I stood in the line outside the Road Transport Office to get my first driver's license. There was an oral test being given to everybody. I thought the questions were randomly being administered. The girl in front of me got an easy question like "identify a "NO ENTRY" sign".
I got all sorts of difficult questions and they asked me to come back the next day. The trick was to keep a tenner in the application forms, so that the "random test" would ease up on you. I did not keep a tenner in the sheets and got rejected seven times, before they couldn't fail me any more. By this time, I had got all the laws and all the traffic signs committed to memory.

This was in Mumbai, India.

Your example of corruption is blatant and easy to discover.

Here is how you fix it.

Fire everyone in that office, including all the leaders up the chain of command for Drivers Licenses. Also ban them from taking any government jobs in the future. Release that news in the Newspapers and at the same time, put out an ad for honest public servants (this being India, you won't miss applications).

Move experienced workers from other Drivers Licensed offices to this now empty office to teach the incoming people.

This will scare the crap out of the rest of the Drivers License offices and make people honest.

[Shaggy Hiker]

That assumes that a non-corrupt person has the power to make such a move. However, if we are just dealing in wishful thinking, then I think I will wish up...something more interesting, but it wouldn't be a good thing to mention here.