Corruption
Don't know if this has been posted already but a mate sent me this link to this ranking of nations based on perceived corruption.
Thought it was real interesting and a little surprising that Qatar bested the USA, much of the EU (including France and Britain), and most of the GCC countries.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/oct/26/corruption-index-201...
Surprised?
Kudos to Qatar!
The results are showing. There was an initiative under HRH the Emir's leadership a year or so, to get serious about eradicating this.
Subject to the usual limitations of any research or survey, the USA has regressed from the past few years. So has my Malaysia :0( .. But I do know that the powers that be here are doing something concrete about changing that with our new Govt Transformation Programme that has yielded some encouraging results so hope that next year's ratings will be better.
Having said the above, of course, I'm not dissing the USA. A country its size is so much more difficult to police. Checks and balances need to be in place, it's citizens' awareness and feedback to govt, etc. Everyone has an important part to play. Indifference or passive ones who sit by and just complain are not helping the situation.
I think we are stuck at that spot for quite a few years now. Let us hope Anna Hazare's fasting will bring about some positive changes in the years to come.
I think I have seen this list earlier or have we been stuck at 87 for few years now?
I am happy that my country with such a high population is still at 87 which is reasonably good.
There is little corruption here because there are few laws to be broken.
ROFL at rankings. I wonder how many of the judges got bribed?
Well done Qatar ...
The index is always controvercial as the article says. Theer are many factors, but please
see the link for a better perspective..
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AonYZs4MzlZbdERaRzgxaUcwYXVRZFpaR3ZrekREb2c&hl=en&authkey=CIretNoB#gid=0
Maybe in some places the corruption is so blatant and open for everybody to see, that this scores for transparancy?