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Level oc corruption in Lebanon is unbelievable. Every government worker that has the right to approve something has at least two counter signer that need to app

Level oc corruption in Lebanon is unbelievable. Every government worker that has the right to approve something has at least two counter signer that need to approve or sign the same thing, still there is wild corruption running through the country.

spoonjim 5y ago
It’s only a few countries where rampant corruption is the exception and not the rule — the US is one such country but many Americans don’t recognize this because they have no comparison reference.
- jbverschoor 5y ago
  The EU is just as bad.. my mic was cut of when I asked a couple of questions. Afterwards they said I couldn’t ask those kinds of question or they’ll all end up in jail.
  - dnh44 5y ago
    Care to share where you were when your mic was cut and what your questions were?
    - jbverschoor 5y ago
      At the EUIPO in Brussels & Alicante.. And the lobbying by Amazon is simply disgusting to see. The EU officials sucking up to the representatives of Amazon.
      - dnh44 5y ago
        That's really depressing and I sort of wish I hadn't asked now but thank you for sharing.
  - MattGaiser 5y ago
    The EU is a big place. Was this France or Bulgaria?
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - vmladenov 5y ago
      It does hurt to see Bulgaria mentioned in this context.
  - dr_hooo 5y ago
    What post are you even replying to? Is your mic getting cut off an example of rampant corruption in the EU?
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  - orf 5y ago
    What specific questions where you asking? Did it have anything to do with anyone’s race?
  - jollybean 5y ago
    The EU, on the whole is pretty close to the US in terms of corruption, but it's not because your mic was shut off. That's just some institution at a conference not wanting to be pestered, which is something else entirely.
- MattGaiser 5y ago
  A friend from Romania was astonished that Canadians threw a fit over a politician having $16 orange juice because of this.
- jeffreyrogers 5y ago
  American corruption exists, it is just excused as how things are done. E.g. speaking fees to important bureaucrats, revolving door between industry and regulatory agencies, etc. There is also probably insider trading by spouses of elected officials, but this is harder to prove.
  - spoonjim 5y ago
    Of course there is American corruption, it’s just not on the level of most countries. The US for example is probably in the 25 least corrupt countries and 5 least racist countries but I don’t think most Americans internalize this because the culture is to always want to be better. There’s good to that but also important to recognize your success.
  - shadilay 5y ago
    Probably insider trading? They exempted themselves from insider trading laws specifically for this purpose.
  - perl4ever 5y ago
    >revolving door between industry and regulatory agencies There are specific laws restricting/regulating people who go from government to industry, intended to address conflicts of interest. You are repeating a cliche that wrongly makes it sound like nobody ever thought of the issue. The problem with casual cynicism based on ignorance is that it allows you to fall right into the trap of trusting corrupt people who say everybody else is the same.
    - jeffreyrogers 5y ago
      Do you think those laws work? I don't.
      - perl4ever 5y ago
        Are you saying that you don't believe people obey the laws, or that following the laws is insufficient to be adequately ethical? Do you think that if a few powerful people do get treated differently, that means the system is totally corrupt regardless of whether ordinary people have constraints and generally do what they should?
- PhasmaFelis 5y ago
  Here are two separate, independent, international corruption indexes that both rank the US in the best 15% of nations, above several major Western European countries: * https://risk-indexes.com/global-corruption-index/ https://risk-indexes.com/global-corruption-index/ * https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/usa https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/usa The US has its problems, God knows. But you've never seen real corruption if you think it's anywhere close to the worst.

spoonjim 5y ago

It’s only a few countries where rampant corruption is the exception and not the rule — the US is one such country but many Americans don’t recognize this because they have no comparison reference.

jbverschoor 5y ago
The EU is just as bad.. my mic was cut of when I asked a couple of questions. Afterwards they said I couldn’t ask those kinds of question or they’ll all end up in jail.
- dnh44 5y ago
  Care to share where you were when your mic was cut and what your questions were?
  - jbverschoor 5y ago
    At the EUIPO in Brussels & Alicante.. And the lobbying by Amazon is simply disgusting to see. The EU officials sucking up to the representatives of Amazon.
    - dnh44 5y ago
      That's really depressing and I sort of wish I hadn't asked now but thank you for sharing.
- MattGaiser 5y ago
  The EU is a big place. Was this France or Bulgaria?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - vmladenov 5y ago
    It does hurt to see Bulgaria mentioned in this context.
- dr_hooo 5y ago
  What post are you even replying to? Is your mic getting cut off an example of rampant corruption in the EU?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- orf 5y ago
  What specific questions where you asking? Did it have anything to do with anyone’s race?
- jollybean 5y ago
  The EU, on the whole is pretty close to the US in terms of corruption, but it's not because your mic was shut off. That's just some institution at a conference not wanting to be pestered, which is something else entirely.
MattGaiser 5y ago
A friend from Romania was astonished that Canadians threw a fit over a politician having $16 orange juice because of this.
jeffreyrogers 5y ago
American corruption exists, it is just excused as how things are done. E.g. speaking fees to important bureaucrats, revolving door between industry and regulatory agencies, etc. There is also probably insider trading by spouses of elected officials, but this is harder to prove.
- spoonjim 5y ago
  Of course there is American corruption, it’s just not on the level of most countries. The US for example is probably in the 25 least corrupt countries and 5 least racist countries but I don’t think most Americans internalize this because the culture is to always want to be better. There’s good to that but also important to recognize your success.
- shadilay 5y ago
  Probably insider trading? They exempted themselves from insider trading laws specifically for this purpose.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  >revolving door between industry and regulatory agencies There are specific laws restricting/regulating people who go from government to industry, intended to address conflicts of interest. You are repeating a cliche that wrongly makes it sound like nobody ever thought of the issue. The problem with casual cynicism based on ignorance is that it allows you to fall right into the trap of trusting corrupt people who say everybody else is the same.
  - jeffreyrogers 5y ago
    Do you think those laws work? I don't.
    - perl4ever 5y ago
      Are you saying that you don't believe people obey the laws, or that following the laws is insufficient to be adequately ethical? Do you think that if a few powerful people do get treated differently, that means the system is totally corrupt regardless of whether ordinary people have constraints and generally do what they should?
PhasmaFelis 5y ago
Here are two separate, independent, international corruption indexes that both rank the US in the best 15% of nations, above several major Western European countries: * https://risk-indexes.com/global-corruption-index/ https://risk-indexes.com/global-corruption-index/ * https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/usa https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/usa The US has its problems, God knows. But you've never seen real corruption if you think it's anywhere close to the worst.