Corruption in our democratic world.

By Pat Hackett

While it easy to understand how corruption can and has been common place under dictatorships, but how in a modern world that claims democracy can this corruption have such a hold?

It is becoming clearer that corruption does exists not only in our politicians but also our media but we need to ask two things:-

Why does this corruption exist but firstly why do our media representatives allow themselves to be corrupted.

There are few if any loose cannons in the BBC.

The simplest way to ensure that the media supports the interests of those who corrupt is to make sure those who are selected and those who are promoted to high positions with high salaries have the appropriate qualities. Two qualities seem to stand out:-

1. To be able to see both sides of a situation even to the extent of defending the indefensible.

2. To be a careerist to the extent that you will know intuitively when and when not to practice those skills of impartially.

Encouraging careerism.

Those who corrupt will ensure that the media themselves encourage careerism or self interest. On evaluating an economic budget individuals will be asked what is in it for them or the daily adulation of self obsessed celebrities demeaning sport, art and key workers. This not only distracts from political awareness but also facilitates corruption.

From laissez-faire to the hidden hand of the Oligarchs

There can be few people in most countries around the world that are bewildered how a genocide can happen with the world watching while governments are either inactive or in many cases actually claiming those responsible, the Israeli government, are our friends and and ally.

Furthermore Western Media have been seen to make peace protesters against the genocide at first labelled as hate marches, then portrayed as being anti-semitic. When Jews came out in great numbers supporting the peace marches in many countries including Britain and America the MSM appeared to do everything to make sure this was not made known in spite of the previous coverage that the protests were anti-semitic. The Jews became invisible but the Zionists who supported the genocide were given air time to attempt to justify their stance.

In stead of coming out strongly against the genocide it seems the coverage was biased very much in favour of Netanyahu's Israeli government.

This bias in the BBC has undoubtedly been the cause of many myths covered here in the previous post.

The conclusion we can't escape from that our government and media has been corrupted.

Societies will only change if they first become aware of their society or country's influence and then in general terms how that influence came about.

Then and only then can there be any hope of a positive revolution in attitudes.

If people are unaware of their countries involvement, particularly if that involvement is part of the problem then change will not come about by some magical self moderation. The change will only be peaceful and sustainable if it comes from a change in attitudes, not if our only hope is war that involves ever increasing levels of annihilation from our ever increasing arsenal of weapons proliferating inspite of any nuclear deterrent.

The economic system.

Good governance should involve social, environmental and economic responsibilities.

However I think it is a fair assumption to make that economics can often play the key role in politics.

Having a mixed economy whereby we have elements of Laissez-faire with appropriate regulations is supposed to bring the benefits of both economic and otherwise extreme systems. The Laissez-faire aspects can have the benefits of efficiency while regulations if well structured deal with external costs that the producer and consumer don't directly pay for such as environmental damage or health and safety to workers, consumers and the general public.

Inequality and the vicious cycle of power.

With great inequality that relies on a trickle down (instead of a shared out) economy the invisible hand aspects of Laissez-faire in our mixed economy idea has instead ended up with a hidden hand of Oligarchs.

The inequality problem.

The often stated advantages of the Laissez-faire aspects of the economy consider that efficiency in production as a measure of a successful society comes about by people chasing their own self interest. Unfortunately to assume that such a system can self regulate, there is an unstated assumption there in that everyone's contribution will add up fairly, but clearly that is not the case. As inequality grows peoples influence grows differentially. As their influence grows a minority is chasing their own self interest and a vicious cycle ensues. Those who are not ruthless will be left behind until we end up with the hidden hand of Oligarchs who have an insatiable desire for more wealth and power whereby the consequences on society are placed well down the list or not given any consideration at all

So not just in dictatorships but even in capitalist countries (and some would say particularly in capitalist countries) then without intervention corruption will inevitably occur.

Oligarchs and consumption.

Oligarchs gain more wealth and power via their share of the profits of whatever is consumed.

The more ruthless who wield the most power seem to have no concern on how discriminate that consumption is as long as they can get across the message that we must grow the economy to be greater than it was the previous year. No values of importance are really discussed when we indiscriminately measure growth; bombs, weapons, houses, junk food, junk fashionable items, anything goes.

The world today.

The Palestine genocide has exposed the fact that the corruption had already existed.

(Trump and Musk illustrate how ruthless the Oligarchs are and the extent they will go to in order to do what they believe will boost consumption that will benefit them. Of course Trump and Musk are not just typical Oligarchs who are hidden. As narcissists they also have an insatiable desire for fame and now in power will do untold damage until they start to hurt other Oligarchs.)

Is it inevitable that this capitalism will lead to this level of corruption?

I would argue this to be the case if the valueless values of the corrupted system gets embedded in the general population.

It is easy to see corruption in our so called political enemies or just simply economic competitors but in our own Western Media not so.

It's not just Hasbarah or the illusive two state solution. (The 2 state solution is a convenient soundbite. It appears to support impartiality but in reality with it's unstated boundaries it is an excuse for Apartheid, ethnic cleansing and has allowed those supporting Genocide of the Palestinians to gain power in Israel. It also hides the fact that Israel is used as a military and nuclear base for the West. There should be no impartiality when it comes to the barbaric onslaught of the Palestinians.) It could be the drip feed of political spin, the continuous obsession with infinite indiscriminate growth or the seemingly innocuous daily infatuation with self obsessed celebrities.

Unfortunately we have lived our lives in a consumerist and celebrity led society kept uneducated about our own political involvement in international affairs.