Report Says Venezuela Most Corrupt Country In Western Hemisphere

[Bacchus39]

http://impunitywatch.com/?p=14887

Report Says Venezuela Most Corrupt Country In Western Hemisphere
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – According to a report published by Transparency International, a global anti-corruption civil society organization, Venezuela is the most corrupt country in the Western Hemisphere, edging out Haiti for the top spot.

Transparency International publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index which measures the “unfairness of the public sector” of countries around the world.

In terms of the complete list, Venezuela was the 164th most corrupt country out of the 178 nations that were included. The annual ranking measures the perceptions of public-sector corruption by aggregating 13 independent surveys.

The news for Venezuela comes on the heels of President Hugo Chavez’s most recent efforts to make Venezuela a completely Socialist country. Recently, President Chavez announced that the government was taking over the local subsidiary of Owens-Illinois, a U.S.-based glass container manufacturer. In recent history, Venezuela has nationalized key industries within the country, including the steel and oil industries.

Chavez’s rule as President has been marred with accusations of corrupt government action and human rights abuses. In a recent election, the Chavez regime is accused of silencing independent media, intimidating voters, arresting dissidents, and gerrymandering electoral districts in order to stave off legitimate competition from other parties.

[Peace Patriot]

1. 'Transparency' International is about as transparent as the CIA.

And the most corrupt country in the Western Hemisphere is the U.S.A., hands down. A known billion of taxpayer dollars gone missing in Iraq. We can only guess about the unknown billions. No-bid contracts to the vice president's own company. Privatization of the U.S. military. Incompetents appointed everywhere in the Bushwhack gov't, military and foreign service. Illegal genocidal war for oil. Torture. Out-of-control military 'contractors' running death squads. Billions paid out to banksters. All the wealth flooding upward. The entire vote counting system taken over mostly (80%) by one, private, far rightwing-connected corporation. Billions of overt and covert corporate dollars in the filthiest campaign system on earth. And more, much more. And no accountability anywhere to be seen.

I never thought I would live to see this day. I always thought that our democracy, however attenuated and corrupted, would somehow right itself from the bad course set by the Reagan regime. Instead, our country has veered further and further off course, with no democratic course correction in sight. The Venezuelans have an honest, transparent, internationally certified election system and have the ability to correct their country's course, if they see the need to. They have had many chances to toss out the Chavez government and instead have repeatedly endorsed it by big margins. I have no concern for Venezuela's democracy, except in so far as the USAID, the CIA and other U.S. entities and the far right in Venezuela may try again to override the will of the people in that country, with another coup attempt. That is always a danger. It is THIS country that currently suffers both a crisis of horrendous corruption and a crisis of democracy, involving the voting machines, the corpo-fascist press and multinational corporate and war profiteer control over our government.

[Zorro]

2. So when are you moving to Caracas?

Surely you'd be much happier living there instead of living in the most corrupt country in the Western Hemisphere.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Sarcasm is most commonly regarded

as being the lowest form of wit.

[Zorro]

4. Only by the witless

[dipsydoodle]

5. I can only assume that English isn''t your first language.

Wit and witless have unrelated meanings. A dictionary would confirm that to be so for you.

[Bacchus39]

6. definition

wit·less (wtls)
adj.
Lacking intelligence or wit; foolish.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

witless·ly adv.
witless·ness n.

[Zorro]

15. Q.E.D.

[Bacchus39]

16. indeed. the definition being superfluous. n/t

s

[social_critic]

17. The USA is corrupt but....

Corruption in Venezuela is widespread, common, major league. The government is crawling with mobsters.

[EFerrari]

7. This article hilariously links socialism and corruption.

Why do I never see these articles about Northern European socialsim?

LOL

[Judi Lynn]

8. Northern corruption? Oh, that just never has happened. They're all "real white."

That means "real good."

http://www.hickerphoto.com.nyud.net:8090/data/media/29/viking-photos_5492.jpg

[EFerrari]

9. LOL. I think "Impunity Watch" at Syracuse is also off the rez

because it's sponsoring organization in the Netherlands is all about socializing means of production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidaridad

Don't have time today, but it might be interesting to inquire what Solidaridad thinks about this seeming inconsistency. :evilgrin:

[Bacchus39]

10. because they are not nearly as corrupt as the current Venezuelan regime I assume n/t

s

[EFerrari]

11. And it links corruption to socialism without tying corruption to Chavez in any way.

It's too bad critical reading is more and more a lost art. :)

[Bacchus39]

12. Chavez is the head of state in Venezuela, anyway I posted the artilce from El Universal

previously and this story contains other links regarding the corruption index as well. You can also go to the transparency web site and see the report as well regarding the extreme corruption in Venezuela.

[EFerrari]

13. I'm glad you posted this OP because I'm pretty sure the sponsors

of Impunity Watch would like to take a look at it since their mission is to put the people in control of production.

[Bacchus39]

14. you're welcome, glad to post it n/t

s

[social_critic]

19. There's a link between communism and corruption

This is a well known link, caused by the accumulation of power which is usually exercised without a proper feedback loop (the "party" entrenches itself in power, refuses to accept the possibility that it may be defeated in elections, and thus it lacks feedback from the people in the form of the "kick the bums out of office" reaction). Corruption in Venezuela's case is enhanced by the nature of the people in power, they are creating a power structure which makes corruption endemic. It is the type of corruption we see in African nations, what they have called "it's my turn to eat" syndrome.

[ChangoLoa]

23. What link?

Traditionally, the less corrupted Latin American countries in that list have been Chile and Cuba. The first being the most capitalist country of the region where even state universities are expensive and the second... is Cuba.

[Vidar]

18. Nah, the United States has that title.

[social_critic]

20. Not really

US corruption is limited in most cases to the top. It's rare to see corruption in the customs offices, or the police, judges, and the typical bureaucracy which issues licenses and permits. In Venezuela, corruption is found across the board. Nothing gets done unless somebody's hand is greased properly. This is causing a serious slowdown in commerce. The problem is compounded by blatant disregard for the law, which is broken in the open every day, by government officials. For example, government property is sold without following due procedure as required by law, and the same applies to large contracts, which are not bid out and instead are negotiated by handshakes. The amount of money disappearing from state funds is atonishing as well. The government can be called a major kleptocracy.

[Judi Lynn]

21. No corruption in the U.S.? You might want to reflect upon the words of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

regarding Cuban scum "exile" parasite sugar barons Fanjul's impact upon this country:

31 May

Under the current system, individuals like yourself can pilfer America’s natural wealth and heritage, destroy publicly owned resources, garner subsidies in the form of below-cost natural resources and artificial price controls, poison our rivers and streams, mistreat workers, and then protect your place at the public trough by sharing your loot with public officials with payoffs disguised as campaign contributions. – Robert Kennedy Jr. to the Fanjuls

http://floridaclarion.com/2010/05/sweet-influence/

Please!

And that's just ONE group of maggots, among a multitude.

Learn to know something about the subject you hope to discuss.

[Judi Lynn]

22. For members wanting to know more about the Cuban sugar barons with powerful political

friends, here's more from the article I just found originally posted in the Florida Clarion:

Sweet Influence

~snip~
Gov. Charlie Crist’s efforts to acquire 72,800 acres of land in the Everglades have brought extraordinary scrutiny on U.S. Sugar and its holdings. But what of the other major sugar conglomerate, Flo-Sun Inc., which opposes this deal and has contributed roughly $23,000 to each of Crist’s main opponents for U.S. Senate in retaliation?

Flo-Sun is owned by the Fanjuls, better known as America’s first family of corporate welfare and the face of Big Sugar. They control 40 percent of Florida’s sugar crop, own the world’s biggest sugar mill, and farm over 300,000 acres of sugar cane in Florida and the Dominican Republic.

The Fanjuls produce about a million tons of raw sugar per year. The fourth-generation sugar tycoons owe their existence to the American taxpayer, who subsidizes the industry, and the Florida Everglades, which has absorbed copious farm run-off for decades. They are mega-rich, highly influential, and very savvy.

More:
http://floridaclarion.com/2010/05/sweet-influence/

[social_critic]

24. Corruption in the USA is minor compared to corruption in Venezuela

The degree of corruption in Venezuela is classified as a major problem. Corruption in the USA isn't close to what Venezuela experiences.