IS CORRUPTION UNIVERSAL?

Lobbying and Lobbyists

Political corruption
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New York Times, March 10, 2006(NYtimes.Com) has come out with a revelation that a sum of US$ 25,000 was collected as donation to a fund for arranging an interview with the President Bush. It appears that this amount was charged from the Head of an Indian Tribe.

The impression till now is lobbying and payments are necessary for interiews required by foreign embassies. Now the icing on the cake is that even citizens of US have to shell down amounts for Presidential interviews.

Is corruption universal? Global corruption reports by institutions such as the Transparency International indicate that corruption is rampant in Saharran Africa and South Asia. Northern Europe and Australia rank among clean countries.

Even in 1980s, there were reports that lobbyists pay thousands of dollars for arranging interviews with the President of US in White House, to the visiting Heads of State from all over the world. At that time, impression was that the cost of lobbying would be paid by the Embassies of the respective Governments and absorbed as costs of running the diplomatic mission in US.

There were also reports about countries paying American Congressmen and Senators to lobby on behalf of the countries which are not in good looks of the American Houses.

It has become fashionable to blame countries ruled by dictators as being mere cesspools of bribery and kickbacks, as if democracies are paragons of virtue.

A search for Lobbying and Lobbyists in New York Times archives show as many as 4237 articles. If a person has time to go through all these 4237, a clearer picture would emerge.

If 25,000 US Dollars are required for a citizen of US to get a Presidential interview, what will be the amount to be mobilised for getting favourable decisions from law makers and bureaucrats.

The Capitol - White House has a great reputation as being the Capital of the Whole World. One wishes that US retains this reputation in flying colors.