SecondExactly a year ago, I did not die of chemical weapons poisoning. It seems that corruption has played a significant role in my survival. Corruption has contaminated Russia’s national system and its intelligence services. When a country’s senior managers are busy protecting rackets and corporate blackmail, the quality of covert operations is inevitably affected.A group of FSB agents applied the nerve agent to my underwear as if they had been incompetent following my footsteps for three and a half years—violating all the instructions above—allowed Civil investigation activist Expose them at any time.
To be fair, a corruption-based regime can perfect more basic tasks. The judicial system-the first thing that dictators attempt to rob their country-works perfectly on the basis of exchange of terms.That’s why when I came back to Russia After treatment, I was taken directly from the plane to prison. This is nothing to celebrate, but at least I now have time to read the memoirs of world leaders.
In these books, world leaders wrote very interestingly how they solved the main problems facing humanity: war, poverty, immigration, climate crisis, weapons of mass destruction. These are all issues on the “big agenda.” On the other hand, the fight against corruption is rarely seen as part of their wish to become a legacy. This is not surprising; this is a “secondary agenda” item.
However, it is surprising that when world leaders describe failure, corruption is almost always worth mentioning—whether it is their own failure, and more commonly, the failure of their predecessor.
“We spent years, hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of lives in Iraq [or Afghanistan, you name it] – But Maliki’s corrupt government [or Karzai, you name them] The theft alienated the people and opened the way to victory for radicals holding the slogans of honest, fair government and role-playing games. “
This raises an obvious question. Guys, if corruption prevents us from finding a solution to the “big agenda” problem, is it time to raise it to the priority of that agenda?
It is not difficult to see why this has not been done yet. Corruption is a thorny issue discussed at global summits.Suppose you are discussing Syria and cyber attacks Vladimir Putin. Everyone finds this interesting and everyone knows where they are. At the final press conference, everyone will have something to say.
Now imagine meeting Putin on corruption.That’s the truth improve Represents moving towards individuality. The whole thing, from start to finish, was very embarrassing. The world’s richest leaders who have fled their country are invited to discuss how to deal with their own problems. Very tricky and very embarrassing.
Now open the news. It is precisely that the West has “not noticed” the total corruption in Afghanistan-Western leaders would rather not talk about topics that they find embarrassing-this is the most critical factor in the Taliban’s victory (supported by the Taliban population). The West does not want to discuss looting budgets; it is better to focus on people who have been stoned to death or beheaded.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of global ideological confrontation, corruption—in its classic definition, “using official positions for personal gain”—has become a universal, unideologically based new authoritarian international. Russia To Eritrea, Myanmar to Venezuela. Corruption is no longer just an internal problem in these countries. It is almost always one of the main reasons for the global challenges facing the West.
The new “hot” war in Europe using air strikes and artillery? It was Putin’s revenge on Ukraine’s anti-corruption revolution and overthrew his protection, Victor YanukovychVarious religious extremists have found that when their opponents drive Rolls-Royce through the streets of barren countries, they are more likely to promote. The immigration crisis is caused by poverty, and poverty is almost always caused by corruption.
“Similarly, climate change has nothing to do with corruption!” You might reflect ironically. I ask you to say that facing the millions of hectares of Siberian forest burned by brutal and thorough removal every year, it violates the fire protection regulations of forest management. I am unwilling to make this prediction, but I am worried that the next major terrorist attack will not only be another bomb explosion by religious fanatics, but a chemical weapon in the water supply network of a big city or a devastating attack on the IT infrastructure of the entire country. , And those who commit terrorism will be one of those who owns a golden palace. The purpose of this is to divert the world’s attention from the golden palace to global security issues.
Therefore, we should not feel embarrassed in the face of corrupt authoritarians asking sharp questions and becoming personal. On the contrary, they should know that their shady transactions will always be the main focus of discussions at the World Summit. This will be a crucial step to eliminate the root causes of many “big” problems.
Okay, but what should we do? Are people in Washington or Berlin surely powerless to combat corruption among officials in Minsk or Caracas?
Yes, but it is also true in an important aspect of corruption in authoritarian states. It takes advantage of Western financial infrastructure-in 90% of cases, stolen things are stored in the West. Officials working for dictators know better than anyone how important it is to keep his capital away from his colleagues and bosses.
All it takes to start is the performance of Western leaders Determination and political willThe first step is to transform corruption from a source of unlimited opportunities to at least a heavy burden for some elites around the dictator. This will divide them and increase the voices that support modernization and reduce corruption-they will be strengthened and provide new arguments made in elite circles.
The following five steps are completely practical and easy to implement, and can provide an efficient start to combat global corruption.
First, the West should formulate and recognize a special category of “countries that encourage corruption,” which will enable unified measures against groups of countries instead of imposing sanctions on specific countries.
Second, the main sanctions against this group of countries-the main tax on corruption, if you will-should be “enforced transparency.” If the contract has the slightest connection to the state, its officials or their relatives, then all documents related to contracts signed by Western companies with partners from countries representing corruption risks should be published.
You work for a state-owned enterprise in a country with a high risk of corruption and want to buy a villa on the French Riviera? Well, go ahead, but you should know that all information about this transaction will be made public. Do you want to deal with officials in Minsk or the aunt of the Russian governor? No problem, but you must publish the entire written record of the transaction, and you can no longer conceal the bribes you paid through “regional representatives” or “local partners.”
Third, anti-corruption does not crack down on corrupt elements. It is the most hypocritical behavior and undermines the trust of voters. Before imposing personal sanctions on the oligarchs, it was mainly Putin’s entourage-the role models of all corrupt officials and businessmen in the world-any anti-corruption speech from the West would be regarded as games and empty talk.
Nothing is more frustrating than reading the latest sanctions lists, which are full of the names of intelligence colonels and generals that no one has ever heard of, but who have been meticulously eliminated from the colonels who acted for their benefit. The West needs to get rid of the shackles of semantic thinking. In this mode of thinking, the label of “merchant” is a kind of indulgence, making it difficult for them to be reflected on the sanctions list. Putin’s oligarchs, leading “state-owned” companies and officially private companies whose prosperity is related to the Putin group, are not businessmen, but leaders of organized crime groups. At present, alas, Western institutions behave like Pavlov’s dogs: you show them the colonel of the intelligence service, and they shout: “Sanction him!”; you show them the oligarch who paid the colonel, and they shouted: “Invite him to Davos!”
Fourth, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany already have good tools to combat foreign corruption, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Anti-Bribery Act.Guess how many cases have been filed according to the report of our Anti-Corruption Foundation Classified as an extreme organization Putin’s government?
That’s right, no. The sad truth is that even Western law enforcement agencies use childish gloves to treat corrupt foreign officials. With a little political will from the government (and pressure from public opinion), this situation can be corrected.
Fifth, it is obviously worth setting up an international institution or committee to prevent the export of political corruption. See what is happening now.By investing relatively little money, the awesome Putin is buying the extreme right and extreme left movement from start to finish. Europe – Turn their politicians into oligarchs and his own agents. Legal bribery is booming, usually in the form of membership of the board of directors of state-owned enterprises. A former German Chancellor, a former Italian Chancellor, and a former Austrian foreign minister can act as a background dancer for the Russian dictator and normalize corruption. All contracts linking former or current Western politicians with business partners in corrupt and authoritarian countries must also be subject to public scrutiny.
These are only the first steps, but even they will have a significant impact. For them, to create an elite group in an authoritarian country, the movement to reduce the level of corruption will become a rational choice.
There is no need for money, soldiers, industry, or reconfiguration of world politics to start taking action. There is only political will-unfortunately, this is often in short supply. Public opinion and the wishes of voters can ultimately promote the development of things. Then one day world leaders will be able to write in their memoirs that they have solved many of the major issues on the “big agenda” by eliminating the root causes — no army, no billions of dollars, no decades of wasted.
Translated by Arch Tait
