Corruption by Country Index

CPI 2009 Table/2009/cpi/surveys_indices/policy_research

Wow. This is interesting. The most corrupt country, #180 out of 180 in the list, is of course... Somalia! Piracy, no real government, not even sure if they really qualify as being a country anymore, but there they are at the bottom of the list.

But wait, there's more!

Just above Somalia, #179 is... Afghanistan! That's right, Afghanistan just barely beat out piracy. #178 is Myanmar (Burma) which is headed by a junta and oppresses people... and they are LESS corrupt than Afghanistan! #176 is Sudan, genocide in the work and all, beat out Afghanistan.

What to make of this, as far as Afghanistan? In simple terms, it looks to me like the government is more concerned about getting what they can get right now. They're being coddled, they know it won't last forever, and so they're taking what they can get while the getting is good, instead of trying to stabilize their country. ...just barely less corrupt than Somalia... wow.

Iran is #168 of 180, slightly more corrupt than Haiti. Nice job with the revolution of yours, way to take things into your own hands.

Venezuela is #162 of 180. Chavez... not surprising. Still, they have some hot women there.

Russia is #146, slightly more corrupt than Kenya. It's funny because a friend at work, who is from Kenya, has told me that about how bad corruption is in his country. And Russia is even worse... wow.

Nigeria is #130, which is a little surprising. "I'm a Nigerian prince with lots of money, but I need you to give me some money so I can claim my wealth and I'll gladly pay you Tuesday." Strangely, I figured Nigeria to be much lower in the list.

Mexico is #89... that might be about right. It's pretty well known you have to bribe the police there if you don't want to go to jail. A relative of mine who lives in Del Rio, really nice guy, somehow got arrested in Mexico and it was a little like holding him for ransom. Once they get their money, you're free to go. You also have to bribe officials if you want anything done.

China is #79. There, if you're caught or exposed as being corrupt or taking bribes... they take you out back and shoot you, unless you kill yourself first. That said, isn't it strange, in philosophical terms, that a socialist society can have corruption?

Cuba is #61... this surprises me a little. They are definitely more communistic than China, so that they beat China in terms of corruption isn't surprising, but I thought they'd be even less corrupt. Fidel Castro, in an interview, showed off some old checks the US has given him over the years for the use for Gitmo. He simply refuses to take money from the US. So, corruption takes all kinds of forms, but it still seems a little strange.

Israel is #32. US is #19. Canada is #8 along with Australia, founded by criminals. Ironic eh?