Friday, July 29, 2005

Democracy is for sale

The New York Times may be doing a fairly miserable job addressing the corruption in its own country, but it does have an interesting piece on the effect of corruption in Latin America:
The shift from authoritarian governments to democracies, many had hoped, would squelch the kind of corruption that predominated when dictators ran the affairs of state to the benefit of a small clique of insiders and threatened whistle-blowers.

Yet successor governments across the political spectrum, whether free-market advocates like Mr. Toledo or self-proclaimed leftists like Mr. da Silva, have proved even more susceptible. With once-closed economies having been opened up and corporate profits at record levels, the opportunities for graft and bribes are larger than ever.

So widespread is the disgust that last year another regionwide poll found that a majority of Latin Americans would prefer a return to dictatorship if it would bring economic benefits. Despite improved economic indicators since then, the ranks of the poor have continued to swell, as has the resentment of those who are pocketing the wealth of the nation for their own benefit.

Needless to say, this is a terrible development for democracy and for social equality across the hemisphere - regardless of one's place on the political spectrum, there can be no doubt that corruption takes resources away from where they can do good and redirects them into an cycle of abuse.

But then, can the U.S. claim to be doing any better, particularly when the article makes statements like these?
Corruption shows itself in many ways, but perhaps its most glaring and grating form is nepotism and patronage, the flaunting of political connections that so alienates ordinary people. Those practices also take many forms, from outright bribes to jobs and contracts awarded to unqualified or inexperienced people who happen to be related to those in power...

Perhaps most ominous for the region's democratic health is that recent scandals...involve corruption not simply for personal enrichment, but also to obtain and hold onto power indefinitely, threatening democratic institutions themselves. Yet the leaders involved have denied wrongdoing and have been loath to accept any responsibility.

Does that sound like anybody you may have heard of recently?

Of course, in addition to Bushco, it also applies at least in part to Liberal operatives as revealed by Gomery. Sadly, there are strong built-in incentives for parties to play the system for all it's worth in the immediate election - particularly when the effect is for a sitting government to keep the opposition out of power (and away from the books) for another term.

Unfortunately, the Times' focus on elsewhere leaves out the most important lesson to be taken from the article. Corruption isn't just a problem for some other country a continent away to worry about when it's not developing as quickly as hoped. Rather, it's a constant danger which all governments, parties and citizens need to watch out for - and need to recognize as something to be changed, not something to be covered up.

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