Articles About Corruption

Why is Kenya Poor?

In discussions with students and staff at Strathmore, I have heard many stories outlining the significant problems with law, property, and inter-tribal (low non-kin) trust.

Corruption, Communism, and Catholicism in Vietnam

Vietnam is a country where Marxism, aptly described by Kolakowski as “the greatest fantasy of our century,” has once again been exposed as nothing more than a useful cover for a corrupt political class to maintain its power and live at everyone else’s expense. And, once again, Christians and the cause of religious liberty are paying the price.

China's Morally Hollow Economy

... One such challenge is widespread corruption. By definition, corruption doesn't easily lend itself to close study. Its perpetrators are rarely interested in anyone studying their activities. Few question, however, that there's a high correlation between corruption and widespread and direct government involvement in the economy. The more regulations and "state-business" partnerships you have (and China has millions of the former and thousands of the latter), the greater the opportunities for government cadres to extract their personal pound of flesh as the price of doing business.

Europe's Broken Economies

During September this year, much of Europe descended into mild chaos. Millions of Spaniards and French went on strike (following, of course, their return from six weeks vacation) against austerity measures introduced by their governments. Across the continent, there are deepening concerns about possible sovereign-debt defaults, stubbornly-high unemployment, Ireland’s renewed banking woes, and the resurgence of right-wing populist parties (often peddling left-wing economic ideas). Indeed, the palpable sense of crisis left many wondering if some European economies have entered a period of chronic decline — one which might eventually reduce Europe to being a bit-player on the world stage.

Debt, Death, and the Dictator

Throughout the world today, the cry to engage in extensive debt forgiveness of some of the world's most underdeveloped nations continues to echo. Every Western politician, from presidents to prime ministers, is regularly told by religious leaders, actors, and rock stars that massive debt forgiveness for some of the world's most impoverished countries is a moral obligation. Failure to embrace such a cause, one sometimes hears, is akin to condemning millions to death.