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(Reuters) - The United States has dropped out of the "top 20" in a global league table of least corrupt nations, tarnished by financial scandals and the influence of money in politics, Transparency International said on Tuesday. U.S. slips to historic low in global corruption index | Reuters
How utterly shocking. I am sure that we will fare even further down the chart within the next few years.
(Reuters) - The United States has dropped out of the "top 20" in a global league table of least corrupt nations, tarnished by financial scandals and the influence of money in politics, Transparency International said on Tuesday. U.S. slips to historic low in global corruption index | Reuters
How utterly shocking. I am sure that we will fare even further down the chart within the next few years.
What would you expect with an usurper as a president.
What's the rightwing answer to this?................ How would they raise the USA's ranking on this list?
Oh they would create laws making what journalists and wikileaks do illegal.
The would increase the powers of government to keep things secret.
They would punish those who publish government wrong doing if it happens to be "classified".
The USA is lower on the list because Americans are gullible enough and stupid enough to believe no principles are as important than the "war on terrorism"....That trumps everything.
Cry babies yell "terrorism" and you must give up your civil liberties.
I don't know anything about the group that does this or how they do it to judge the validity of the measure.
They mention things like money in politics which exists on both sides, so I don't see a right or left issue there. This is a US government issue and is a problem. Why would you ask the right anyway, the left is in power?
They also say "The index showed a number of countries -- including Iran -- climbing up the chart significantly from 2009," which damages their credibility.
I don't know anything about the group that does this or how they do it to judge the validity of the measure.
They mention things like money in politics which exists on both sides, so I don't see a right or left issue there. This is a US government issue and is a problem. Why would you ask the right anyway, the left is in power?
They also say "The index showed a number of countries -- including Iran -- climbing up the chart significantly from 2009," which damages their credibility.
Yes, there is corruption on both sides, but common sense dictates that when a party is blatanlty and openly holiding necessary policies hostage such as START, extension of unemployment benefits, lowering taxes on the middle class, etc. just to get tax cuts for cronies and corporate funding of respective candidates campaigns, it is obvious which party is utilizing Mafia-like tactics.
Yes, there is corruption on both sides, but common sense dictates that when a party is blatanlty and openly holiding necessary policies hostage such as START, extension of unemployment benefits, lowering taxes on the middle class, etc. just to get tax cuts for cronies and corporate funding of respective candidates campaigns, it is obvious which party is utilizing Mafia-like tactics.
I could offer similar information about the way the healthcare bill was handled which brings us back to the point of your first sentence (in bold). Why not focus on that instead of choosing a side to excuse?
Yet another example of right wing rhetoric coming face to face with reality.
The only countries which are more "free market" than the US which are ahead of the US on that list are Singapore, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Ireland. Japan, New Zealand, and Britain are also capitalist. Most of the countries at the top of that list are social democracies or borderline social democracies, however.
What's most embarrassing for us is that there's an Islamic Middle Eastern country ahead of us on that list (Qatar). Middle Eastern countries are usually at the bottom or close to it.
The only countries which are more "free market" than the US which are ahead of the US on that list are Singapore, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Ireland. Japan, New Zealand, and Britain are also capitalist. Most of the countries at the top of that list are social democracies or borderline social democracies, however.
Nearly all of the top 20 on that list are also in the top 20 for economic freedom:
Take Chile as an example, it is the most free market country in South America, has the lowest corruption of any nation in the region, and ranks highest in South America on the Human Development Index.
Personally, I think I'll wait until they post this years report on their website so I can see HOW they arrived at their conclusions.
Y'all go ahead and get all outraged while I wait.
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