Global Index Ranks Israel More Corrupt Than Ever

[Purveyor]

The Israeli public sector is perceived to be more corrupt now than it has been at any other time in the last 15 years, according to a global index released Thursday.

Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked 183 countries on perceptions of public sector corruption. New Zealand, with 9.5 out of a possible 10, was the least corrupt, while Somalia and North Korea provided a stark contrast with scores of 1.0.

Israel’s score has gradually decreased since the index was first released in 1995, said Galia Sagy, director of Shvil - Transparency International’s Israel affiliate. She said Israel scored 7.71 in the first index, a far cry from its new score of 5.9.

“This country is in a critical period, in which the nation is making its voice heard and demanding social justice. The demand is for transparency, information, ethical conduct, the separation of power and money, and for a fight against corruption – because corruption is one of the main causes of social inequality,” Sagy said.

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http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=247791

[oberliner]

1. And yet still less corrupt that the vast majorities of countries around the world

Scary how poorly most of the world fares on this index.

About 130 countries got lower than a 5.0.

And once again, Scandinavia finishes at the top (only six countries with a 9.0 or higher and three of them are Scandinavian).

I wonder what that is all about.

[tabatha]

2. They don't need to be corrupt

because their societies are more equal, and they don't have strong man on top who requires bribery.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. New Zealand finished at the top...

Have you got a copy handy of this year's results? I googled but could only find the 2010 rankings...

[oberliner]

4. Here ya go

http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/

You can download the full report at the link above.

New Zealand first, followed closely by Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. Thanks. Damn Kiwis!

I see we're sitting at number 8 with a score of 8.8, a full 0.7 behind New Zealand, which is kind of surprising given how closely aligned both countries are. I blame our score totally on a few really shady local councils...

[oberliner]

6. Your neighbors to the north don't fare nearly as well

Why is Papau New Guinea so low? Aren't they also closely aligned with Australia?

2.2 is pretty sad.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. No, that result comes as no surprise...

They're not closely aligned with us at all. New Zealand, on the other hand, much as they don't like being reminded, was going to become a state of Australia at Federation, and pulled out at the eleventh hour. Over the past decade or so, there's been a real attempt to get Trans-Tasman harmonisation made into a reality, which includes making things like taxation, business, defence, travel and other things like that more consistent. Travel's the only one they've got right yet, coz I can up and move to NZ without a visa and stay as long as I want, which is sometimes very tempting. The taxation systems are more difficult, though, coz ours is far more complicated than theirs is, and when it comes to defence, they don't have the same blind need to follow the US into every war it starts like we do.

When it comes to PNG, while I was there years ago, I've heard things have gotten worse since then. The government is rife with corruption, and for example, investigations into air crashes, which happen far too frequently there, are whitewashed and can't be trusted. There's also laws in place that are blatantly ignored, especially in the case of abuse of women.

New Zealand getting the number one spot? Meh. That's coz nothing ever happens there!

on edit: Here's some info on some aspects of Trans-Tasman harmonisation

http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/new_zealand/ttmra_users_guide.pdf

When I looked for this second one, I've seen that the term 'harmonisation' has been dropped. At long last. It was never going to work...

http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/pathway.aspx?pc=001/003/074

[oberliner]

8. How can you say that they are not closely aligned with Australia?

Weren't they occupied by Australia for a time?

Seems from what I've read that the two countries have been pretty well-linked for the past century.

From the embassy website:

Australia is a close friend and partner of PNG. Our relationship is strong on many levels. It is born of history and geography and covers the full range of bilateral interests. Close partnerships exist between governments, businesses and people in both countries.

.embassy.gov.au/pmsb/home.html

[Violet_Crumble]

9. DFAT would have people believe we're close friends with everyone...

I think in lay speak it translates as 'having reasonably friendly relations with until the US invades them and then we're not friends with them anymore and will expel their diplomats with less than 24hrs notice'

Yes, until 1975 Australia did occupy PNG, though the word I always remember hearing was the much more lightweight 'administer'. It was a colonial occupation, and since then Australia has given a massive amount of foreign aid to PNG, and offered the services of the Australian Federal Police, tax officers, and other boring bureacratic types to try to assist in overcoming some of PNG's issues. And the relationship isn't the same warm and incredibly fuzzy bro one that it is with NZ...

'Although close relations have been maintained since peaceful independence and Australia remains the largest bilateral aid donor to Papua New Guinea, relations with Australia have recently shown signs of strain. While on a state visit in March 2005, Prime Minister Somare was asked to submit to a security check and remove his shoes upon arriving at the airport in Brisbane. Despite demands from the PNG government that Australia apologize, the latter refused. Additionally, problems have arisen with regard to Australia's latest aid package for the country. Valued at A$760 million, the program was to tackle crime and corruption in PNG by sending 200 Australian police to Port Moresby and installing 40 Australian officials within the national bureaucracy. However, after the first detachment of police arrived, Papua New Guinea's high court ruled that the arrangement was unconstitutional, and the police returned home. A new arrangement, by which only 30 officers will serve as a training force for the local force has been described by the Australian foreign minister as "second-best"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Papua_New_Guinea#The_Territory_of_Papua_and_New_Guinea

The relationship between Australia and New Zealand is on a whole different level entirely. When our pollies say the US is our strongest and closest ally, they're talking shit. It's NZ by a mile. There's the historic and cultural similarities for a start. While European settlers in Australia were British, European settlement in NZ came about from those same settlers travelling from Sydney to NZ, so they were basically settled by Australians. The ties between the two countries when it comes to trade and defence are far beyond merely having a close relationship. There's the whole ANZAC thing, which is incredibly strong, and they sound the same as us, except they say 'sex' instead of 'six' which is always a cause for snickering when drinking with a Kiwi. I don't know if the US has a relationship similar to it, but I'd assume that the Scandinavian countries might have a similar thing between themselves....

on edit: Sorry, but I've got the sudden urge to post something from Flight of the Conchords...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2gii2nenUg

[King_David]

10. This is not the Australian forum.

To quote an inconsistent poster who seems to think there is different standards for different posters:

"Anyway, I see from yr posting flurry that you missed the turn into the Australia forum. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Yr in the I/P forum, which while busier than there, is where stuff about Australia is welcomed and discussed. You might learn something about my country if you post there."




http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x374249#374389


Got it ? Good . ;)

When I do live in Australia "your country" (Bondai Sydney to be exact), majority of people hold very different views than you do.

You do not speak for Australians. Most I come into contact with are very pro-Israel who's views approximate Pelsars.

[Violet_Crumble]

12. No shit, Sherlock!

Though if you want to quote inconsistent posters who seem to think there's different standards for different folks, you'd need to do a fair bit of self-quoting. Falls very flat when you accuse me of that, though. See, while you rushed in with multiple 'Australia-bashing' posts to try to divert attention away from the subject of the OP and didn't appear to be aware that the Australia forum exists (I just checked and you still haven't made an appearance there), I'm a regular poster in the Australia forum and here I'm participating in a thread where other countries rankings on the Corruption Index were already being discussed. I'm not sure what drives the hostility you display where you appear in what was a very friendly and hopefully interesting discussion between me and another poster to launch into an attack. What part of what I've posted in this thread do you object to? Someone who claims to reside on Bondi Beach (interestingly enough, tourists who visit here once visit Bondi Beach and then act as though they're experts on Australia even though they don't venture anywhere else much) would assuredly be reasonably knowledgable about the ties between Australia and New Zealand. So what was it I said that you think is wrong?

I've never done a poll of the predominantly foreign tourists that hang out at Bondi, so I wouldn't know and not particularly care what they thought about anything. Those of us who actually do live here in Australia are aware that the I/P conflict is rarely a big issue here and it's very unusual to find anyone just come up to strangers and start randomly talking about it. As pelsar's views are based on his experiences as both an Israeli and someone who's served in the IDF, it's a safe bet those you claim to have come into contact with are fictional, unless you went into a shopping centre and bailed up one of those Israeli students that work at those irritating Dead Sea cosmetics stalls. I've encountered a fair few of them, and they don't embark on discussions of the conflict, and I think it's the height of rudeness to initiate it with them. With the exception of one who refused to drop the hard sell and repeatedly demanded to know why I wouldn't buy the product, they've all been extremely personable folk who given half a chance to natter away about Israel and their life there, will do it at the drop of a hat....

But what would I know? I must leave it to you to speak for Australians!

[oberliner]

14. Sorry for the off-topic diversion

Interesting insights nonetheless.

[bemildred]

11. "nothing ever happens there!"

You say that like it's a bad thing ...

[Violet_Crumble]

13. I'd enjoy the quietness of the place...

But then I reminded myself that New Zealand's a bit like the mouse that roared at times, and sometimes things do happen there, like when they told the US to take their nuclear-powered ships and fuck off. And the earthquakes. Even during the two weeks I was there once, the tremors that happened while I was at Rotorua freaked me out a fair bit. I like my ground solid :)