Image by athree23 from Pixabay
– Carlos M. Frota
Not a virus, really, but a cancer, and its metastasis at the center of many societies…and the most important obstacle to eradicate poverty. I am thinking about corruption, of course.
This topic has been the subject of many messages from Pope Francis, for whom corruption “feeds the culture of death,” corruption is at the root of slavery, unemployment and disregard for nature and the common good.
Pope Francis said, for instance, in a video-message of 2018 entitled ‘Say NO to Corruption’: “Corruption is a process of death that feeds the culture of death, because the thirst for power and possessions knows no limits.” And these last remarks touch the essential.
It’s a well established tradition for Pope Francis to raise this question with larger or smaller audiences, mainly when he visits developing countries. Because the same young people who attend Mass celebrated by the Pope in huge stadiums are the ones who struggle every day for better education and opportunities of a career, in a labor market under deep transformation.
All the resources of every nation are necessary to fight poverty, first of all, but also to make job opportunities available for all.
Corruption is the most illegitimate way to privatize national wealth belonging to all.
A growing awareness
The theme of my text was inspired by some current events. One of the main subjects of conversation these last weeks, in Portugal and Angola, and beyond, was about the information made available by the so called “Luanda Leaks,” concerning the origins of the fortune of the former Angolan First Daughter Isabel, the eldest child of the long serving president Dos Santos, now retired.
The universal consensus among Angolans is that the close relationship of the CEO of dozens of companies with her father, the head of state for 38 years, made her the richest woman in Africa, with financial assets and properties in several countries. What is shocking in all this story is that during the long period of her self-enrichment , the country, rich in natural resources, suffered several financial crises which further impoverished an already very poor population.
What deserves to be analyzed, in general (and not just about this particular case) is the deep connection between corruption and poverty, as Pope Francis pointed out very often .
Corruption is a constant in society and occurs everywhere. However, it has only been in the past 30 years that this phenomenon has begun being seriously explored. It has many different shapes as well as many various effects, both on the economy and the society .
Causes and consequences of corruption
There are various reasons for the spread of corruption — personal, cultural, institutional, and organizational — applicable to different cultural and geographical environments.
Causes: Political and economic environment. Professional ethics and morality. Habits, customs, tradition. Demography…
And the consequences? Corruption inhibits: economic growth and affects business operations, employment and investments. It also reduces tax revenue and the effectiveness of various financial assistance programs.
The wider society is influenced by a high degree of corruption in terms of lowering of trust in the law and the rule of law, education and consequently the quality of life (access to infrastructure, health care, etc ).
What is, for me, more meaningful in terms of human behavior is greed that leads to an insatiable desire for money or power, with no regard whatsoever for moral boundaries. In very rich persons the insensitivity towards other’s needs is common. They can obsessively accumulate useless objects, like jewels or objects of art, dozens of properties they will not use, collections of cars stored in spacious garages just for the pleasure of displaying to envious friends and admirers.
Living in their particular club of owners, searching for more, they seldom look beyond their narrow universe of interests and ambitions .
The main and most significant cause….
Corruption stems from the innate human impulse to own external goods, when it is not subject to personal integrity. Why is this becoming more generalized? Is personal integrity less valued than it used to be? Is there an urgent need for religious or other types of motivation that were once stronger?
A very pertinent question: Should ethical education be put under review? The answer is undeniably yes, verifying that no sense of service prevails when someone is working in public or private institutions.
This is seen, for instance, in those who use politics for their selfish interests, instead of serving the common good through politics. How can we promote politicians and leaders with a true service-oriented spirit? This is a major question!
Low awareness or lack of courage to denounce corrupt behavior and situations create an opportunity for corruption.
That is the case of someone who is aware of corruption and stays quiet. They simply cover for the corrupt individuals, perhaps thinking that it is not their problem, or perhaps out of cowardice, so as not to make their lives more complicated. Would it help to promote a culture of denouncing corruption?
A disease and its ramifications
Cultural environments that condone corruption. Such as defending or even admiring crooks (“you have to be pretty smart to evade taxes”). Or rationalizing false arguments with no moral basis (“everyone does it”; “take advantage while you can”; “life is short”). Who ought to promote that culture? Social leaders? Everyone?
Lack of transparency, especially at the institutional level, but also in less formal organizations.
Knowing that what you do is seen by everyone, wouldn’t that deter acts of corruption?
Regulations and inefficient controls. Increased regulations and control mechanisms are probably not the answer. They are costly and tend to stifle initiatives and administrative dynamics. But why not have better regulation and more effective control in areas prone to corruption. Is that so difficult?
Slow judicial processes. In some other countries, we would have to add “and unreliable” to that statement. Swift processes can have a greater exemplifying effect than those that, by the time the sentence comes, the crime already is nearly forgotten. Justice requires appealing processes and warranties, but not if it means slowing down the administration of justice. Do we need more judges, but also better processes?
Lack of moral criteria in promotions
Corruption is prevalent when there are no criteria for proven integrity and responsibility in the promotion. Such criteria are ignored when someone is promoted simply because of their loyalty to whoever is in charge or those in control of the party. Or if it is only their strategic or organizational skills that are evaluated. Obviously, someone can be wrong when making a promoting someone, but there should be no problem distinguishing between a simple mistake and culpable ignorance due to negligence or a lack of ethical assessment. Is it an issue of ethical shortsightedness?
Downplaying or reacting mildly to corruption charges. Little power of decision within organizations to penalize acts of corruption to set examples creates an environment conducive to perpetuating corruption.
In conclusion…
Among the causes of corruption are the political and economic environment, professional ethics and morality, habits, customs, tradition and demography. Its effects on the economy (and the wider society) are well researched, yet still not completely. But awareness is growing on the need to seek solutions.
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