1. Introduction:
Now, what is corruption and how does
it affect the world in general? Corruption can be described as the act of
receiving money from individuals or organizations in exchange for promises not
to perform a particular task or otherwise betray their trust. It is also used
to describe the manipulation of free markets and free political systems by any
individual, government, or other entity. In other words, corruption is when a
person or organization uses their position of power to benefit themselves
and/or others at the expense of society at large. It is a form of dishonesty
where an individual or group benefits from their position while ignoring
societal concerns.
Humans have always been attracted to
power and control. However, this attraction has become stronger since humans
began to practice sustainable economic growth. As such, we tend to seek out
information that serves our needs for survival; information that enables us to
secure food, water, shelter, and necessities like clothing and health care.
This information must then be presented in a way that makes us feel good about
ourselves; we must feel like we are getting something in return for our
actions. As such, there are two main forms of corruption:
Bribery: A bribe is an amount paid
directly to an official with the intent of influencing his or her
decision-making process for a specific purpose. In other words, bribery
involves paying someone with some form of wealth (money) independently of
whether they offer you anything in return (i.e., no promise was made).
Corruption: Corruption occurs when
an individual or organization gains control over the information which they
believe will be beneficial for them (i.e., no promise was made). Often this
happens when those who have gained control over the information believe that it
will benefit them more than it will benefit society as a whole (i.e., no
promise was made).
It isn’t just limited to government officials who are corrupt with money but can
happen within any organization as well as any relationship between persons
involved in work (e.g., boss/employee). If you know someone who behaves
inappropriately towards you then you should call them out on it without being
afraid you will be ostracized from your own family because if someone doesn’t
like how you act towards them then they can leave without giving up their
present company.
2.
Definition of Corruption:
Corruption is a problem that affects
different areas of the world. Corruption is when governments or foreign
governments use their power to manipulate the economy. The word corruption is a
combination of Latin words "cor" meaning "money" and
"fortunate" meaning "to fortunate can be used as both noun and
verb.
Corruption has been present in all
human societies throughout history, but it has always been a problem because many
people are working for money or for gain which is why it became so widespread
during the Roman Empire.
It has also been present in all
governments around the world, including the United States government, but its
roots go deeper than that. Corruption is also present at every level of
government, from local to national and international levels.
Corruption can be defined as:
-Greed of Money: Greed for money or
other things cannot be held against everyone; however, greed for money in
itself may be an offense against the values of honesty and integrity (Gordon
Clark).
-Desires: Most people have desires
that are not expressed by them but only by others (Gordon Clark).
-Higher Levels of Market and
Political Monopoly: This refers to the use of political power to gain undue
economic benefits while maintaining political dominance (Gordon Clark).
-Low Levels of Democracy, Weak Civil
Participation, and L, ow Political Transparency: A strong civil society needs
strong laws and regulations so that political corruption cannot occur;
transparency means politicians must disclose their financial information regularly
(Gordon Clark).
-Higher Levels of Bureaucracy and
Inefficient Administrative Structures: This includes increased administrative
effort, more bureaucracy with less efficient decision-making processes (Gordon
Clark).
-Low Press Freedom: This refers to
media outlets being either controlled by powerful censors having IM having what
they can publish so that they do not damage state interests (Gordon Clark).
3.
Types of Corruption:
Corruption is a form of dishonesty.
It results from greed, desire for money or power, an emphasis on one’s interests
over the common good, or corruption as a consequence of bribery. Corruption is
not an isolated phenomenon. It’s a symptom of larger societal ills.
The nature of the problem is not to
make it any easier for the corrupt to perpetrate their crimes against society,
rather it’s to make it harder for those who are potential victims to come
forward and report them.
The more well-known a person or
organization is, the easier it is for corruption to thrive there (eg. FIFA),
but less so in less well-known places (eg., Zimbabwe). The more entrenched they
become in their position, the more difficult it becomes to combat their
influence and remove them from office.
4.
How to fight corruption?
Corruption is rampant, pervasive,
and sometimes even unavoidable. The question is not whether corruption exists.
We all know that it does. If asked Iat the greatest problem in our world is,
most people will say “corruption” or at least refer to it as an issue. The
reason why people say “corruption” instead of just another word like “war” or
“famine” is because corruption has its roots in greed, desires, and low levels
of civic participation and political transparency.
In my view, I have a strong opinion
on the issue of corruption and I tend to be quite outspoken about it. But I
think that I am also far from the only person who holds this belief (which
happens to be what this post has become).
The reason for my staunch opinion on
the matter is because there are a lot of things that cause us to feel horrible
about ourselves (the ones who we are) but we don’t necessarily feel bad about
ourselves when we speak out against others (the ones who we become).
Here are some other examples:
- Corruption has no moral purpose.
It takes advantage of its victims without remorse. It doesn't care if it's
illegal or not; money talks in these situations.
- Corruption occurs at every level
of society; from street vendors to politicians and bureaucrats. In most cases
though, the difference between "great" and "evil"
corruption is insignificant (well, except for the fact that powerful people can
usually blend into society better than poor people can).
- Corruption functions as a form of
social control; it oppresses its victims by placing them under unnecessary
restrictions on their freedom and making them pay for what they have done wrong
with very little recourse or protection from those who have gotten away with
their crimes . . . well, until someday someone goes up against them for their
crimes so they can take revenge on those responsible for causing them harm.
This happens all around us every day: one person gets robbed by another person;
someone else gets mugged by another person; someone else's car breaks down or
overcharges you for your business . . . the list goes on and on!
- Corruption will always exist so
long as corrupt individuals do not feel any guilt over their actions nor are
held accountable by society; however, unlike other crimes where there are
punishments (law enforcement), there isn't much in terms of punishment when it
comes to corruption because no one cares whether/how criminals are punished
5.
Conclusion:
Corruption, a form of dishonesty or
a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is trusted
with a position of authority, to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for
one's personal gain. The goal of corruption is often to obtain certain gains
for oneself without sharing it equally with others. Corruption is usually
accompanied by greed for money.
Corruption generally results from
some actions taken to gain political, financial, or commercial benefits from
governmental agencies, private organizations, other governments,s, and people.
For example:
1) Democratic processes – the
official working mechanism of democratic systems: election and public vote; 2)
Legal mechanisms – the law system; 3) Political structures - the state
structures (political party structures and government bodies); 4) Economic
structures – financial services; 5) Media structures - media organizations; and
6) Political parties - political parties (party-membership allocating system).
The term "corruption" was
coined by the journalist George Orwell in his book 'Animal Farm' in 1945.
However as pointed out earlier, corruption isn't confined only to the public
sphere, but can also take place in private spheres such as education and
journalism. In this artic,le I will focus on corruption in both public and
private spheres.
I will first define what I mean by
"corruption" using examples from history before moving on to discuss
the roots of corruption within our recent past. Then I will go on to discuss
what can be done about it today if we want to eradicate it once and for all.
1.
Introduction:
Now, what is corruption and how does
it affect the world in general? Corruption can be described as the act of
receiving money from individuals or organizations in exchange for promises not
to perform a particular task or otherwise betray their trust. It is also used
to describe the manipulation of free markets and free political systems by any
individual, government, or other entity. In other words, corruption is when a
person or organization uses their position of power to benefit themselves
and/or others at the expense of society at large. It is a form of dishonesty
where an individual or group benefits from their position while ignoring
societal concerns.
Humans have always been attracted to
power and control. However, this attraction has become stronger since humans
began to practice sustainable economic growth. As such, we tend to seek out
information that serves our needs for survival; information that enables us to
secure food, water, shelter, and necessities like clothing and health care.
This information must then be presented in a way that makes us feel good about
ourselves; we must feel like we are getting something in return for our
actions. As such, there are two main forms of corruption:
Bribery: A bribe is an amount paid
directly to an official with the intent of influencing his or her
decision-making process for a specific purpose. In other words, bribery
involves paying someone with some form of wealth (money) independently of
whether they offer you anything in return (i.e., no promise was made).
Corruption: Corruption occurs when
an individual or organization gains control over the information which they
believe will be beneficial for them (i.e., no promise was made). Often this
happens when those who have gained control over the information believe that it
will benefit them more than it will benefit society as a whole (i.e., no
promise was made).
It isn’t just limited to government officials who are corrupt with money but can
happen within any organization as well as any relationship between persons
involved in work (e.g., boss/employee). If you know someone who behaves
inappropriately towards you then you should call them out on it without being
afraid you will be ostracized from your own family because if someone doesn’t
like how you act towards them then they can leave without giving up their
present company.
2.
Definition of Corruption:
Corruption is a problem that affects
different areas of the world. Corruption is when governments or foreign
governments use their power to manipulate the economy. The word corruption is a
combination of Latin words "cor" meaning "money" and
"fornare" meaning "to fortunate can be used as both noun and
verb.
Corruption has been present in all
human societies throughout history, but it has always been a problem because many
people are working for money or for gain which is why it became so widespread
during the Roman Empire.
It has also been present in all
governments around the world, including the United States government, but its
roots go deeper than that. Corruption is also present at every level of
government, from local to national and international levels.
Corruption can be defined as:
-Greed of Money: Greed for money or
other things cannot be held against everyone; however, greed for money in
itself may be an offense against the values of honesty and integrity (Gordon
Clark).
-Desires: Most people have desires
that are not expressed by them but only by others (Gordon Clark).
-Higher Levels of Market and
Political Monopoly: This refers to the use of political power to gain undue
economic benefits while maintaining political dominance (Gordon Clark).
-Low Levels of Democracy, Weak Civil
Participation, and L, ow Political Transparency: A strong civil society needs
strong laws and regulations so that political corruption cannot occur;
transparency means politicians must disclose their financial information regularly
(Gordon Clark).
-Higher Levels of Bureaucracy and
Inefficient Administrative Structures: This includes increased administrative
effort, more bureaucracy with less efficient decision-making processes (Gordon
Clark).
-Low Press Freedom: This refers to
media outlets being either controlled by powerful censors having IM having what
they can publish so that they do not damage state interests (Gordon Clark).
3.
Types of Corruption:
Corruption is a form of dishonesty.
It results from greed, desire for money or power, an emphasis on one’s interests
over the common good, or corruption as a consequence of bribery. Corruption is
not an isolated phenomenon. It’s a symptom of larger societal ills.
The nature of the problem is not to
make it any easier for the corrupt to perpetrate their crimes against society,
rather it’s to make it harder for those who are potential victims to come
forward and report them.
The more well-known a person or
organization is, the easier it is for corruption to thrive there (eg. FIFA),
but less so in less well-known places (eg., Zimbabwe). The more entrenched they
become in their position, the more difficult it becomes to combat their
influence and remove them from office.
4.
How to fight corruption?
Corruption is rampant, pervasive,
and sometimes even unavoidable. The question is not whether corruption exists.
We all know that it does. If asked Iat the greatest problem in our world is,
most people will say “corruption” or at least refer to it as an issue. The
reason why people say “corruption” instead of just another word like “war” or
“famine” is because corruption has its roots in greed, desires, and low levels
of civic participation and political transparency.
In my view, I have a strong opinion
on the issue of corruption and I tend to be quite outspoken about it. But I
think that I am also far from the only person who holds this belief (which
happens to be what this post has become).
The reason for my staunch opinion on
the matter is because there are a lot of things that cause us to feel horrible
about ourselves (the ones who we are) but we don’t necessarily feel bad about
ourselves when we speak out against others (the ones who we become).
Here are some other examples:
- Corruption has no moral purpose.
It takes advantage of its victims without remorse. It doesn't care if it's
illegal or not; money talks in these situations.
- Corruption occurs at every level
of society; from street vendors to politicians and bureaucrats. In most cases
though, the difference between "great" and "evil"
corruption is insignificant (well, except for the fact that powerful people can
usually blend into society better than poor people can).
- Corruption functions as a form of
social control; it oppresses its victims by placing them under unnecessary
restrictions on their freedom and making them pay for what they have done wrong
with very little recourse or protection from those who have gotten away with
their crimes . . . well, until someday someone goes up against them for their
crimes so they can take revenge on those responsible for causing them harm.
This happens all around us every day: one person gets robbed by another person;
someone else gets mugged by another person; someone else's car breaks down or
overcharges you for your business . . . the list goes on and on!
- Corruption will always exist so
long as corrupt individuals do not feel any guilt over their actions nor are
held accountable by society; however, unlike other crimes where there are
punishments (law enforcement), there isn't much in terms of punishment when it
comes to corruption because no one cares whether/how criminals are punished
5.
Conclusion:
Corruption, a form of dishonesty or
a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is trusted
with a position of authority, to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for
one's personal gain. The goal of corruption is often to obtain certain gains
for oneself without sharing it equally with others. Corruption is usually
accompanied by greed for money.
Corruption generally results from
some actions taken to gain political, financial, or commercial benefits from
governmental agencies, private organizations, other governments,s, and people.
For example:
1) Democratic processes – the
official working mechanism of democratic systems: election and public vote; 2)
Legal mechanisms – the law system; 3) Political structures - the state
structures (political party structures and government bodies); 4) Economic
structures – financial services; 5) Media structures - media organizations; and
6) Political parties - political parties (party-membership allocating system).
The term "corruption" was
coined by the journalist George Orwell in his book 'Animal Farm' in 1945.
However as pointed out earlier, corruption isn't confined only to the public
sphere, but can also take place in private spheres such as education and
journalism. In this artic,le I will focus on corruption in both public and
private spheres.
I will first define what I mean by
"corruption" using examples from history before moving on to discuss
the roots of corruption within our recent past. Then I will go on to discuss
what can be done about it today if we want to eradicate it once and for all.
By: Abdullah Baloch
The writer is a student at Ruzhn Professional Class
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