CORRUPTION IN THE US: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS UNITED BILLIONAIRES

 

CORRUPTION IN THE US: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS UNITED BILLIONAIRES

Corruption in the US? Ha! Who would have thought? It's not like we have a Supreme Court sugar daddy scandal, a grifting ex-president, or a fake news scandal by Fox and News Corp. Oh wait, we do. And to top it all off, it's been compounded and made worse by the Citizens United decision. 

Let's start with the Supreme Court sugar daddy scandal. It sounds like a bad romance novel, but unfortunately, it's real life. Apparently, Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose his wife's income from conservative groups, including one that was fighting against the Affordable Care Act. I guess when you're a Supreme Court justice, you don't have to worry about little things like conflicts of interest or transparency. 

And then there's the grifting ex-president. It's like he took a page out of the Enron playbook and decided to manipulate everything for his own gain. From emoluments to Ukraine, he was always looking for a way to make a quick buck. And let's not forget about his family members who were also cashing in on their connections. It's like the Trumps turned the White House into a cash cow. 

But the real fake news scandal is Fox and News Corp. They've been spreading lies and propaganda for years, but it really ramped up during the Trump era. It's like they were in a competition with the National Enquirer to see who could come up with the most outrageous story. And the sad part is, some people actually believe them. It's like they're living in an alternate reality where facts don't matter and conspiracy theories reign supreme. 

And let's not forget about the Citizens United decision. It's like the Supreme Court said, "Hey, let's give corporations and wealthy donors even more power in our political system." Because what could possibly go wrong with that? It's like they were trying to create a dystopian future where elections are bought and sold to the highest bidder. 

So how corrupt is the US? Let's just say we're giving other countries a run for their money. We've got political corruption, economic corruption, and social corruption all rolled into one big mess. It's like we're living in a reality show where the contestants are all corrupt politicians and the prize is a one-way ticket to jail. 

But there is hope. We can combat corruption with effective measures that promote transparency, accountability, participation, and integrity. We can demand better from our elected officials and hold them accountable when they fail us. We can support independent media outlets that prioritize facts over sensationalism. And we can push for campaign finance reform that limits the influence of money in our political system. 

So let's not give up hope just yet. We may be corrupt, but we're not beyond redemption. And who knows? Maybe one day we'll look back on this era as a cautionary tale of what happens when we let corruption run rampant. Or maybe we'll just laugh about it and make memes. Either way, it's important to keep fighting for a better future.

Corruption in the US is not just a problem, it's an industry. From politicians to businessmen, everyone seems to be in on the game. And why not? With lax regulations and weak enforcement, it's easy to get away with corruption in the US. But hey, who needs ethics when you have money?

In conclusion, corruption in the US is no laughing matter, but sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. The examples we've highlighted are just the tip of the iceberg, but they show that corruption is pervasive and damaging to our society. It's time to take corruption seriously and hold those responsible accountable. Or we can just keep making jokes and hope for the best. After all, laughter is the best medicine, right?

What is corruption? - Transparency.org https://www.transparency.org/en/what-is-corruption#:~:text=public%20servants%20demanding%20or%20taking,officials%20to%20get%20lucrative%20deals 

2022 Corruption Perceptions Index: Explore the… - Transparency.org https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022 

American Anti-Corruption Act - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Anti-Corruption_Act#:~:text=The%20American%20Anti%2DCorruption%20Act,transparency%2C%20and%20campaign%20finance%20laws. 

THE DEFT DIVE

Corruption in the US since 2000 is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that involves various actors, sectors, and levels of government. According to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, the US score dropped from 76 in 2015 to 67 in 2020 and 2021, indicating a deterioration of public integrity and accountability. Some of the possible causes and effects of corruption in the US since 2000 are:

• - Political corruption: This refers to the abuse of public office for private gain by elected officials or public servants. Some examples of political corruption scandals in the US since 2000 are:
•     * The Enron scandal, which involved the manipulation of energy markets and accounting fraud by Enron executives, who had close ties to the Bush administration⁵⁶.
•     * The Jack Abramoff scandal, which involved the bribery of lawmakers and officials by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates, who received millions of dollars from various interest groups⁵⁷.
•     * The Rod Blagojevich scandal, which involved the attempt by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama to the highest bidder⁵⁸.
•     * The Bridgegate scandal, which involved the closure of lanes on the George Washington Bridge by aides of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, allegedly as a political retaliation against a local mayor⁵⁹.
• - Economic corruption: This refers to the distortion of market mechanisms and economic policies by corrupt actors, who seek to maximize their own profits or benefits at the expense of others. Some examples of economic corruption in the US since 2000 are:

•     * The subprime mortgage crisis, which involved the origination and securitization of risky mortgages by financial institutions, who misled investors and regulators about the quality and value of these assets⁶ [^10^].
•     * The Bernie Madoff scandal, which involved the largest Ponzi scheme in history, perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, who defrauded thousands of investors of billions of dollars⁶¹¹.
•     * The Volkswagen emissions scandal, which involved the cheating of emissions tests by Volkswagen, who installed software in millions of diesel vehicles that manipulated the results⁶¹².
•     * The college admissions scandal, which involved the bribery and fraud by wealthy parents, who paid to get their children admitted to elite colleges and universities⁶ .
• - Social corruption: This refers to the erosion of social norms and values by corrupt practices, which undermine trust, cooperation, and civic engagement among citizens. Some examples of social corruption in the US since 2000 are:
•     * The opioid epidemic, which involved the overprescription and misuse of opioid painkillers by doctors, patients, and pharmaceutical companies, who contributed to addiction, overdose, and death among millions of Americans .
•     * The fake news phenomenon, which involved the spread of false or misleading information by online platforms, media outlets, and political actors, who influenced public opinion and behavior on various issues .
•     * The police brutality cases, which involved the excessive use of force and violence by police officers against civilians, especially minorities, who suffered from discrimination, injustice, and human rights violations .

These are just some of the examples of corruption in the US since 2000. There are many more cases that could be discussed. Corruption has negative effects on economic growth, social welfare, political stability, and democratic quality. It also reduces trust in institutions, erodes moral values, and fuels public discontent. Therefore, it is important to combat corruption with effective measures that promote transparency, accountability, participation, and integrity.

Bing, 8/26/2023

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• (2) List of corporate collapses and scandals - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_corporate_collapses_and_scandals.
• (3) When power corrupts: 16 of the biggest political scandals of the last .... https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/article/2016/05/when-power-corrupts-16-biggest-political-scandals-last-50-years.
• (4) CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION: WHAT HAS PAST DECADE'S EMPIRICAL .... https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eugen-Dimant/publication/304113926_Causes_and_Effects_of_Corruption_What_has_Past_Decade's_Empirical_Research_Taught_Us_A_Survey/links/5ac063caaca27222c759c332/Causes-and-Effects-of-Corruption-What-has-Past-Decades-Empirical-Research-Taught-Us-A-Survey.pdf.
• (5) Corruption, Causes and Consequences | IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/58969.
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• (7) THE CAUSES OF CORRUPTION: A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY - Social Sciences. https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/faculty/treisman/Papers/causes.pdf.
• (8) undefined. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eugen-Dimant/publication/304113926_Causes_and_Effects_of_Corruption_What_has_Past_Decade.
• (9) 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index - Explore United States’s results. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/usa.
• (10) Corruption in the United States - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_the_United_States.
• (11) U.S. Corruption Levels At Their Worst Since 2012 - Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwilliams1/2021/01/28/us-corruption-levels-at-their-worst-since-2012/.
• (12) A history of corruption in the United States - Harvard Law School. https://hls.harvard.edu/today/a-history-of-corruption-in-the-united-states/.