9/11 & Government Secrecy Are Inhibiting The War Against Corruption

Over at Transparency International's online Global Corruption Report, I found this archived Financial Times article very telling...

"It has long been accepted that corruption undermines the legitimacy and stability of
governments in poor countries. But corruption is also a private sector phenomenon:
public servants and politicians are not alone in mis-using entrusted power for private
gain. With the corporate scandals at Enron and other US companies still playing out, it
is clearer than ever that corruption also puts at risk financial markets and institutions.

The good news, says the report, is that new technology has so improved flows of
information that the media and public are increasingly calling businesses and
politicians to account. Yet, particularly since September 11 2001, governments have
become less, not more, willing to share information.

Yes, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreed an
initiative to combat bribery of foreign public officials in 1997. But few cases are being
investigated. In most OECD member countries, the political will to prosecute major
bribery cases is lacking," the report concludes."

Is it just me, or is this kind of stuff never reported in our media? It's time to end the national obsession with the war in Iraq, and start noticing what's really going on.

Snap! You are now awaking...be aware and pay attention to the troubling world around you.