Corruption - A Misnomer
We often hear of the term corruption applied to government officials.
The word comes up again and again in reference to governments in various countries and is held up as the prime reason for the failure of such governments.
Accompanying this word is the bad taste of myriad connotation.
Corrupt people are "bad" people, without principles, given to selfishness.
This kind of thinking is out of date and is best, together with the word "corruption," discarded.
Why? Let's think of the problem of failed governments from a historic angle.
The emergence of nation state, where one power monopolizes all means for violence and regulates all aspects of life within a territory is a recent phenomenon.
The first such states only came into existence after the 1500s and the vast majority were not formed until after 1800.
How come? Before this time one vital ingredient for forming stable states was missing: nationalism.
Yes, nationalism is often associated with jingoism and considered backward, but in it's essence, nationalism, itself a new-comer, is the glue that holds states together.
Nationalism, defined here as a identification and loyalty to a group larger than the family, clan, or tribe, is what creates the sense of duty that produces the kind of civil servants that can hold a nation-state intact.
So-called corruption, is simply the lack of this kind of loyalty.
Countries which are identified as corrupt, are dominated by individuals who do not see any reason to be loyal to the state.
And this brings us back to my previous article on the "economy of meaning.
" In effect, in such states, the individual does not derive any meaning from adhering to a central state.
There are no traditions or values that can supersede the loyalty to one's clan or family in such territories.
To create stability in such places we have to look for the cultural keys to creating a national identity.
In other words we have to find for those cultural traditions that individuals can hold dear and derive meaning from, which can create an allegiance to a flag and the requisite self-sacrifice that allows the creation of a stable state.
The word "corruption," by painting problems as good versus evil, muddies issues, and confounds the proper analysis that can lead to a lasting solution.
The word comes up again and again in reference to governments in various countries and is held up as the prime reason for the failure of such governments.
Accompanying this word is the bad taste of myriad connotation.
Corrupt people are "bad" people, without principles, given to selfishness.
This kind of thinking is out of date and is best, together with the word "corruption," discarded.
Why? Let's think of the problem of failed governments from a historic angle.
The emergence of nation state, where one power monopolizes all means for violence and regulates all aspects of life within a territory is a recent phenomenon.
The first such states only came into existence after the 1500s and the vast majority were not formed until after 1800.
How come? Before this time one vital ingredient for forming stable states was missing: nationalism.
Yes, nationalism is often associated with jingoism and considered backward, but in it's essence, nationalism, itself a new-comer, is the glue that holds states together.
Nationalism, defined here as a identification and loyalty to a group larger than the family, clan, or tribe, is what creates the sense of duty that produces the kind of civil servants that can hold a nation-state intact.
So-called corruption, is simply the lack of this kind of loyalty.
Countries which are identified as corrupt, are dominated by individuals who do not see any reason to be loyal to the state.
And this brings us back to my previous article on the "economy of meaning.
" In effect, in such states, the individual does not derive any meaning from adhering to a central state.
There are no traditions or values that can supersede the loyalty to one's clan or family in such territories.
To create stability in such places we have to look for the cultural keys to creating a national identity.
In other words we have to find for those cultural traditions that individuals can hold dear and derive meaning from, which can create an allegiance to a flag and the requisite self-sacrifice that allows the creation of a stable state.
The word "corruption," by painting problems as good versus evil, muddies issues, and confounds the proper analysis that can lead to a lasting solution.
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