tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825516930488582601.post-3637230310776707492008-05-02T12:41:00.000-07:002008-05-02T12:41:00.000-07:00When facing entrenched corruption, there are usually only three real alternatives: (1) clean-up by an outside power (e.g. FBI busting Congressman for bribery); (2) clean-up by internal forces (e.g. reformers or organized resistance by those oppressed by corruption); or (3) clean-up by the market (making corruption unprofitable so the criminals move to different endeavours).<BR/><BR/>Of these, it seems like (1) is impossible when corruption is endemic at every national level, unless the international community comes in and forces change, which will probably be resisted for nationalist reasons and in any event will probably be superficial. The problem with (2) is that typically the type of support organization that would be effective to fight such entrenched and organized corruption is, itself, basically a form of government. The organizational channels have already thus been subverted. From what you've said, cultural expectations about government's role make (3) difficult as well -- Bulgarians expect the government to be large and intrusive.<BR/><BR/>Which of these, or which alternative methods, do you see as having the best chance of success? Personally, I favour method #3. To paraphrase <A HREF="http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html" REL="nofollow">Frederic Bastiat</A>, when the government's function is confined only to protecting liberty, rather than controlling or distributing great wealth, there will be no great profit to lure corrupt individuals to try to control it.NJRhttp://www.tiesenga.comnoreply@blogger.com