Very interesting survey.
Least and most corrupted countries in the world(#1 being the least and #145 being the most).
http://transparency.org/cpi/2004/cpi2004.en.html)
I expected some countries to score better then they did and some to score lower.
See, I would have pegged Turkmenistan as the worst in the world. A country ruled over by a single TV suborning, poetry spouting dictator gets extra corruption points in my book.
Hail Turkmenbasi!
that chart is STILL based on sombody's opinions.
The truth is there's no real way to measure corruption since most of it is hidden. It is pretty accurate though.
Are you just pissed because the USA isn't in the top ten?
Are you just pissed because the USA isn't in the top ten?I am. :p
Actually I'm fairly certain that our major western nations should be further up that list than they are. Much of the corruption that goes on in the undeveloped world is in some way linked to our financial systems.
I'm still rooting for Turkmenbasi though.
Yeah I know. I'm studying in economics right now and it's starting to make me sick a bit, knowing that it's in the rich countries' advantage to keep those under-developped nation poor.
I am not surprised. In fact, I have lived in a few countries that score 3.5 and below. In reality, I can hardly tell which one is worse in that regard....but many times, those who are "buying" are not necessarily from those countries but also G7 companies.
The saddest thing about this is that the victims are the poorest families in these countries: corruption takes away money that could be invested otherwise and encourages exploitation :(
(but life is complex and there are also many good things in those contries that you don't find necessarily in other countries)
I've been to some of them too and quite frankly, when you get back here, you can get a bit disgusted at how we waste so much stuff and how fat the populace is getting because they eat too much.
The people in those countries are also mostly nice and try to make a living out of very little.
I've been to Vietnam last summer(score 2.6, 107th I think) and I've seen some vast ameliorations which is a good sign(I can no longer bribe my way past the guards at the airport). It is quite amazing how the country recovered from the war and how it has never had a real communist heart. It's all capitalist down there now. They all talk about the american dollar, what they wear in america, what they drink, what they eat...it's like the war never happened. Well almost. The people are really a bunch of irritating bastards(generally speaking) they push you around and there's almost no sign of politeness. But we're getting there.
Originally posted by lukeiamyourdad
I've been to some of them too and quite frankly, when you get back here, you can get a bit disgusted at how we waste so much stuff and how fat the populace is getting because they eat too much.
That is one aspect. I definitely get sick when I see people complaining all the time here for less than nothing...
The people are really a bunch of irritating bastards(generally speaking) they push you around and there's almost no sign of politeness. But we're getting there.
I have lived abroad for about 10 yrs (parents' job) and trust me politeness standards also vary from a country to another and we can be real bastards in other people's views too ;) ...
Originally posted by Darth333
I have lived abroad for about 10 yrs (parents' job) and trust me politeness standards also vary from a country to another and we can be real bastards in other people's views too ;) ...
Yeah I guess so. But since I live here my standards are pretty high already. Some people here are bastards but they seem to be hiding it more.
I got a taste of what it was back there to be impolite and having cigarette smoke constantly being blown to my face...often...by lots of people...
In the US the cops only do things if they make money off of it, that's my opinion of 'em.. but whatever, I'll cut the cynism.
Woooo! Hail Singapore! (#5) We rule! (not really :( )