How did Egypt become so corrupt?

A picture is emerging of a state where wealth fuels political power and political power buys wealth.

It has been nearly two weeks and the protesters in Egypt are still calling for the president to leave.

Many Egyptians feel that the only ones benefitting from the country’s wealth are businessmen with ties to the ruling National Democratic Party.

Reports about the wealth of Hosni Mubarak, his family and the people close to him have started to emerge. According to some reports, Mubarak himself has an estimated net worth of $40bn to $70bn.

We should keep this in mind when some Egyptian and U.S. officials bleat on about Mubarak’s “60 years of devoted service to his country” and that he deserves an “honorable exit.”

They paint a picture of a state where wealth fuels political power and political power buys wealth.

“In the name of what, exactly, has the United States been ready to back and fund an ally whose contempt for the law, fake democracy and gross theft flouts everything for which America stands?”

According to Transparency International’s annual corruption index, Egypt ranks an ignominious 98th of 178 countries, just ahead of Mexico.

The super rich grew ever more dominant and flashy while 30 per cent of the population remained illiterate — an astonishing non-achievement — and gross national income is a mere $2,000 per family.

 

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Israeli Government: Most Corrupt in the world!

A poll conducted by an anti-Corruption organization has revealed that the majority of Israeli’s believe their government is not seriously fighting against Corruption.

The annual Global Corruption Barometer report released by Transparency International shows that 86 percent of Israelis –the highest level in the world–say the government’s efforts to fight Corruption are ineffective.

Only 13 percent of Israelis believed that the government is taking the necessary measures to fight Corruption, Haaretz reported.

In 2006, 66 percent of those questioned did not believe in their government’s anti-Corruption efforts.

The global public opinion survey represents the views of citizens from 69 countries around the world, including 500 in Israel.

The survey asks people about their attitudes toward local Corruption and their own personal involvement in such corrupt acts as bribery.

Senior Israeli officials including Israel’s incumbent Foreign terrorist-Minister Avigdor Lieberman are charged with being engaged in several cases of financial Corruption.

Many other Israeli former officials including former president Moshe Katsav, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, former Israeli finance minister Avraham Hirshson and Knesset (Parliament) member Shlomo Benizri have been involved in corruption cases.

Doron Navot of the University of Haifa and the Israel Democracy Institute says in Israel “not only do the government and elected officials not fight political Corruption, but in recent years they see politicians and elected officials fighting the guardians – those battling against Corruption – and trying to weaken them and advance reforms that harm the fight against Corruption.”