> Widespread corruption is yet another issue hanging over our civilization which we've never had to deal with before in our history.
I do disagree with that. It may be true for somebody living at the US and a few more countries that used to be more honest, but in general, corruption was always about as widespread as it is now.
You are seeing a lot of it recently because it is getting uncovered. It is even hard to find a corruption scandal that is new (but I don't speech as many languages), and has not been going on since forever. And corruption getting uncovered is a good thing - it is how it ends.
I see points on both sides. Corruption has existed as long as lying - since forever.
But the scale of corruption is greater than ever before possible, as globalization allows moneyed, corrupt, and powerful players to pull up the ladder for entire countries. The Internet and modern transportation means you could move you in a day and your and entire stash in a moment - to whatever end of the earth you choose. It's a big planet. Not so easy for the fleeing nobles of the French Revolution.
And here in the States - and my home state of New York in particular - the line between corruption and expected business is very blurry. For example, lawmakers in Albany are allowed to make money on outside income, but what if that outside income relies on your legislation? Obviously that is corrupt (and has seen two prominent assemblymen convicted of felonies recently), but what if a lawmaker the next office over - a respected geologist - consults for fracking firms looking to drill in NY while working with other senators to get Governor Cuomo's fracking ban overturned? I'm sure many people would say yes, but what if instead that same lawmaker consulted environmental groups (for pay) about the risks and dangers of fracking while staunchly siding with Cuomo's moratorium? Is that also corrupt, even if we like that course of action more than the other?
Unfortunately, the more these things get brought to light, the more people call for transparency, and the powers that be work ever harder to obfuscate their actions. Even Barack Obama is guilty of this: he came into office promising the most transparent administration in US history, and has since set the record for classifications and federal charges under the Espionage Act (of 1917! As in, more than anyone else during the whole Cold War!).
Sorry to end on a bummer. I don't really know how to fix such a system from top to bottom.
Good point. Hard to imagine much corruption in a hunter-gatherer society. In fact, I think status in those societies was often gained by sharing (e.g. sharing the meat from a kill).
Yes, take a look at their politics. There's a reason they are that rich, and it is not because half a dozen people benefit from international corruption.
But if you know of an even better example, great, share it.
>Yes, take a look at their politics. There's a reason they are that rich, and it is not because half a dozen people benefit from international corruption.
Well duh, everyone knows that.
Switzerland is rich because a hell of a lot of people benefit from international corruption.
>But if you know of an even better example, great, share it.
I do disagree with that. It may be true for somebody living at the US and a few more countries that used to be more honest, but in general, corruption was always about as widespread as it is now.
You are seeing a lot of it recently because it is getting uncovered. It is even hard to find a corruption scandal that is new (but I don't speech as many languages), and has not been going on since forever. And corruption getting uncovered is a good thing - it is how it ends.