Talk about Corruption...

These ramblings will be looking at many aspects of corruption or the Abuse of Power. Language figures to a large degree because it plays a powerful role in creating our understanding of issues.
My personal stand on abuse of power is clear cut, and I have no doubt my language will reflect that position.

Language of corruption

To some of us the use of language is endlessly fascinating. There seems no better place to look at language than corruption, as it occurs in our systems of public administration. From basic recognition and definition, to the various attempts to attack or justify this scourge, it creates a language genre of its own.

Aristotle seems not to have used the term ‘corruption’ to refer to any vice but to refer to the fact that a virtuous person may be ‘corrupted’ by vice. Somewhere along the way the word became shorthand for the misbehavior of public officials.

Well, some classes of misbehavior mainly concerned with financial malfeasance. Bribery, kick backs and the like are the prime suspects. Cronyism and conflict of interests seem harder nuts to crack, but the do make the occasional appearance.

I expect in this age of monetarism there is a powerful tendency to see things purely in terms of money. To do so is to ignore a raft of non financial issues, which like greed, reflect an inability to manage personal physiological disorders of various types.

Abuse of power is a straight forward term which might describe the whole gamut of misbehavior of public officials. It’s difficult to see any great ambiguity in the term. Well almost no ambiguity, except perhaps the meanings of power, and perhaps of abuse.

It’s inevitable. Is that enough reason to take a stand on public corruption, bribery and graft? To most people the issue seems too big and distant to worry about. It is not easy for many to see how these things affect our lives, they are simply out there.

At the same time there are powerful parties pushing to have, at least some forms, of bribery accepted into out lives. The argument is that a little ‘grease’ helps the wheels of commerce to turn. It does no harm! The language of persuasion is ample to at least hold back a rising tide of genuine concern.

Bribery and graft is nothing less than the abuse of power by those entrusted with a wide range of issues affecting our lives. We might not see those effects, or ever understand where our ‘sanction’ leads the attitude of wayward public officials.

Where do you stand on corruption?
No decision represents a decision. If you judge that the whole area of official corruption is beyond you then you make a positive decision to give tacit approval to these activities. On the other hand, deciding that these activities are corrosive to our society and probably have an adverse effect on you personally you are taking a positive against corruption.
It is a small step to be sure, but governments today react to ‘public opinion’. You might think your opinion doesn’t count and nobody will ever hear it. Don’t be too sure of that. Once you take a position on any issue you become a positive factor.