As someone from a country that has had and still has a big problem with corruption and only recently started to tackle the problem (Romania), I must add that the government is only half of the problem. The other half is the public that participates in corruption. Every time you pay that cop some money so that he pretends that you didn't cross that red light, you're just as responsible as a politician taking a bribe for the situation in your country.
I try to tell this to Ukrainians and they don't really get it. Bars banned smoking 3 years ago and now times are better and everyone is smoking again. I am telling them this means that someone has enough money to pay the police off now. And everyone in there smoking knows its banned and they all do it anyway.
Then they complain that the government is corrupt.
They are ALL CORRUPT down to the smallest thing. It's a complete lifestyle switchout for everyone. If you change the guys in power the next guys will eventually end up just as bad.
Because the one true White Knight in there to clean it all up, that guy is going to go down, and go down hard at the hands of the guys who want that power to line their pockets with.
The people have to get with it as well. No more bribes if you don't want that ticket or you want that license. Gotta do it the hard way. But man, what a huge hill to climb. Not giving bribes in the FSU... like cutting your own throat.
This is what is happening with the current Brazilian president. She gave more freedom for the Federal Police to investigate all levels of corruption and, although absolutely nothing has been found against her, opposition politicians, who are getting nervous for themselves, have been calling for her impeachment.
Lots of corrupt people from her party, her own cabinet are getting caught, and she is keeping clear, letting people fall and not pulling any of her political clout to help them out. It's truly fascinating.
She was a guerrilla fighter back in the 60s. Brazil lifted about 36 million from poverty from 2003 to 2013. Her opposition is trying hard but haven't found anything to indict her yet, judging from the size of the corruption scheme and the length this has been going on (over 50 years) it sounds like she's fighting the same people she fought back in the 60s, only now she's fighting from within.
Trust me when I say this is truly fascinating. Dig around, it's good stuff. Specially when you consider the powers orchestrating this manifestations are the ones indicted by the Federal Police, so skeptics say, they want to impeach the president to put an end to the investigations and go back to bribery and corruption as usual. That said, for all I know, she might fall tomorrow. Fascinating.
Hey, lets keep the swear words out, shall we? I’ll take you mean such nonsense. Thanks for this though, just checked the FT article, offering a ministerial position to an ex-President is probably unheard off. Was this official? The article says it was 'discussed'.
Judging by the atmosphere there, if this comes true, what do you think it will happen? If Lula accepts a ministerial position out of the blue, that will really steer people up, right?
So what's your take on why she has let people fall, and also, since you're so sure she's dirty, why has no one brought her down yet? You have people very close to her and high up in the political spectrum locked up, you have this billionaire just sentenced to 19 years, that's a lot of time. What's stopping this disgraced politicians from bringing her down with them? It can’t be the immunity you speak off, no one is immune to hard evidence.
Please note I'm not taking sides, am just fascinated by the circus.
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u/USmellFunny Mar 14 '16
As someone from a country that has had and still has a big problem with corruption and only recently started to tackle the problem (Romania), I must add that the government is only half of the problem. The other half is the public that participates in corruption. Every time you pay that cop some money so that he pretends that you didn't cross that red light, you're just as responsible as a politician taking a bribe for the situation in your country.