Article by Vernon B. Sarne: Customized

[uls]

yun sakit ng bayan is already at the root of it all. the people. no matter which president you change, ganun pa rin yun. unless palitan mo silang lahat.. but with who?

dapat things should start at home.. educate the kids, teach them the right way.. and start the change with yourself and hoping that everyone will follow.

Observe the politicians... how they groom their kids to become politicians...

Observe the capitalists... how they groom their kids to become capitalists...

Predators teach their offspring how to hunt.

Can u see the future? There's the future.

[pup2]

Hindi naman totoo na ang corruptor ay wala sa gobyerno. Pero totoo na vicious cycle siya. Kunwari manufacturer ka na nag-iimport ng raw materials and/or capital goods. Let's say you start year 1 and 2 right, paying both the right taxes and the right customs duties. Now let's say there's a small slump in year 3. Your customs duties are bound to decrease then. Let's say you pay the right percentage.

But the tax people now have your import documents from year 1. Even had you been paying the right amount in those years, do you think they'll accept a smaller payment for year 3? No way. Now it's year 4 and the slump continues -- still no problem with duties but now the tax people have your year 2 data and will INSIST on higher taxes and/or kickbacks regardless. Now you're in dire straights -- you start taking out loans, etc. which only prolong the agony.

Vicious cycle siya but one that is NOT impossible to stop or minimize. One can minimize, for example, by being a minimalist gov't (say, once outside creditors put on the squeeze). Hindi ba kaya nga daw China ang source ng funds? (Though doesn't that make them at least as corrupt as us?) Yun nga lang, people have to find ways around a gov't with hardly any funds for quite a bit of time.

Another one is more abrupt -- a few big fish just have to have very public, very violent repercussions of their greed and the rest are sure to stay in line. This is more drastic and the benefits are almost immediate, though even less sustainable in the long run.

[uls]

You get pulled over for a traffic violation. Traffic cop asks for your license. You offer him money to let u go. Who's the corruptor?

You are a govt supplier... govt employee uniforms, office supplies, computers, air conditioners... you have competitors for the same supply contracts... you bribe someone to make sure you win the contract. Who's the corruptor?

Mag-co-collection ka ng bayad sa govt project na natapos mo. Para mapabilis ang pag release ng cheke, you give padulas to everyone involved in signing the paperwork... who's the corruptor?

You dont want to pay the whole amount of tax levied on you coz it will eat into your profits. You propose an under-the-table transaction with the BIR agent. Who's the corruptor?

I can go on and on.

To reinforce my point that the corruptors are not in govt, imagine this --

U fire EVERY govt employee... as in EVERYONE... from the clerk up to the president of the land. And replace them.

But the private sector doesnt change... still the same importers, contractors, suppliers, capitalists, and people like u and me... all with their own goals and agenda and dreams and desires...

Will anything change?

If u arrest the prostitutes but let the customers go, will it eliminate prostitution?

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the problem is too deeprooted. Yes i know im not giving any solutions here. Coz i honestly dont know what the solution is.

Coz if u really dig deep into this --- u find out the problem is human nature.

Here u have a tug of war between moral values and human instinct (self preservation)

And most of the time, human instinct wins.

Like in the article -- the BOC person started out idealistic... but was seduced by the dark side.

Capitalists use money... which is extremely effective in making people do things they want.

If u can be bought, they're happy.

If u cant be bought, they find someone who can be bought to get u out of their way.

[theveed]

the problem is too deeprooted. Yes i know im not giving any solutions here. Coz i honestly dont know what the solution is.

Coz if u really dig deep into this --- u find out the problem is human nature.

Here u have a tug of war between moral values and human instinct (self preservation)

And most of the time, human instinct wins.

Exactly... But then again, it's always easier for others to blame the government (or anyone else but themselves)...

[shadow]

umiinit ang usapan...:popcorn:
paki-transfer naman ito sa politics forums...:hysterical:

[chain]

common problem na yan dati pa. we get the same problem sa Subic before. malaki ang for-the-boys palagi. yung "tara".

kahit magbayad ka ng tamang duties and taxes, nandun pa din ang "tara" para ibigay sa kanila.

[Flagg]

You can't get something for nothing. You get what you pay for. Ganun ang buhay...

[uls]

We definitely dont like the way things are.

But there are people who do.

There are people who love the status quo.

The status quo favors them.

Coz it's easier for them to make money in the current environment...

Than in an environment where there's a level playing field...

Than in an environment where laws are strictly enforced...

Than in an environment where there's no favortism...

-----

and these people fund election campaigns...

these people put presidents in power...

Friends in high places.

No wonder things dont change.

[pup2]

Hindi naman dispute na deep-rooted at vicous cycle ang corruption eh. Ang hindi ko pinaniniwalaan ay na walang corruption sa gobyerno. Hindi na po uso ngayon ang nag ooffer ng bribe -- HIHINGIAN KA NA NILA.

[mikey177]

Are there any countries that have minimal corruption coupled with good economic performance? What are the best practices from these countries (if there are any) that we might be able to adopt to the Philippine setting?