The word corruption is defined as \u201cdishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving a bribery\u201d of public officials. The definition, if you will, is a bit too narrow. It doesn\u2019t go beyond receipt of direct or tangible things. It means if you didn\u2019t benefit from \u201cpersonal gain\u201d then you\u2019re free of the filthy scourge. <\/p>\n
I don\u2019t like this word and it isn\u2019t because of the negativity it conjures but because it can\u2019t even fit as headline and even bleeds the page when highlighted with bold letters. Moreover, in a small community, it doesn\u2019t even need any ideological or scholarly discussion.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not being facetious either but you know we come from \u201cIslas de Las Ladrones\u201d where we could smell corruption from miles away. Plus we impose the complete opposite of American jurisprudence where, on the islands, you are guilty until proven otherwise. The heavy shadow follows you everywhere! And even that we smell with powerful scent than fully trained K-9.<\/p>\n
Beyond the narrow definition, there\u2019s the term \u201cpatronage\u201d that wildly spreads privileges and rights that can\u2019t be stashed away. It provides invisible and concrete personal gains for the official, his family, relatives, and loyalists. <\/p>\n
Well, I\u2019ve seen envelopes handed to our top guns. I\u2019m sure they weren\u2019t \u201cGet Well\u201d cards or \u201cHappy Holidays\u201d for the content was definitely loaded with one too many happy days. Are there corrupt people still in government? Definitely! Are there politicians who\u2019ve never reported campaign materials from foreign firms worth over $50K? Isn\u2019t this also a violation of pertinent federal laws? It shall be revealed before year\u2019s end! Interesting Times!<\/p>\n
Again, in a small island community you\u2019re held guilty until proven otherwise. This hurts in more ways than one. You meet friends at a BBQ and everybody\u2019s spouting, \u201cEh, more beer lai\u201d taking quick glances at your browbeaten face. Friends and foes would poke fun at you even at your funeral. Nice thing, though, is that they\u2019re very forgiving even of crimes you never committed. Hell, where do you find such warped generosity that never ceases to give? <\/p>\n
But I\u2019ve seen what the scourge could do. It\u2019s ugly in all its form and it\u2019s one scheme where we avoid using the \u201ccrab theory.\u201d You\u2019d be happily encouraged go it alone, bruddah!<\/p>\n
The Voice<\/strong> Our t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate centered on reminiscence before sliding once more into insightful discussions on technology, cultural devolution, national and local political impotency and other issues.<\/p>\n We both acknowledge how information technology has shifted the old ways given that almost everybody is so self-absorbed in iPhones, iPads, Kindle, and laptops. With the national media pandering into what\u2019s hip as to ignore the search for the truth, it has turned into screens of mendacity than anything else. I\u2019d rather watch birds on my lemon tree do quick jumps to nearby branches than turn on the TV. Well, modernism has its own benefits too. Most folks may not have everything they needed but at least they have my grand auntie calls \u201ccelery\u201d or cellphones!<\/p>\n Has our cultural value system devolved too? Now, if you feel modernity has its good influences upon local tradition, would you like to share it with us? It\u2019s healthy exchanging viewpoints in sober fashion in the interest of allowing for that difficult navigational journey ahead. <\/p>\n Unless we discuss it under a certain framework, most of our thoughtful views would have receded with the tide of servile acknowledgment. With strands of thoughts we could engage others in deliberative discussions focusing on real issues affecting our people. Well, it was a discussion in a dream with a friend who had since expired some 20 years ago. Perhaps he wanted to ensure that I remain polished on issues! It\u2019s what we both call \u201cThe Voice\u201d.<\/p>\n Middle East mess<\/strong> But the ill-defined mission has seemingly failed drawing criticisms from commentators to heads of Christian organizations across the country. The expectation is one of a decisive action by the president who\u2019s headed to Martha\u2019s Vineyard for a vacation.<\/p>\n He\u2019s even accused as a believer in resolving domestic and foreign problems, delivering speeches enunciating grand goals. But the playing field in Iraq has shifted Mr. President and you must remove your blinders lest Islamic insurgents move into Pennsylvania Avenue too. This group seems fully versed of our Achilles heels\u2014domestic problems\u2014as to ignore everything else.<\/p>\n Memory seemed to have eluded our mind when the country pressured Obama to get out of Afghanistan and Iraq. He did! Most can\u2019t see why waste American lives and taxes on a war that isn\u2019t ours either. Obama obliged.<\/p>\n Obviously, the American Experiment of \u201cdemocracy\u201d has failed in the Middle East or countries where we spent billions of dollars trying to convert tribal living into our half-cocked version of democratic freedom. We overlooked the fact that historically these countries have lived as tribes for over 4,000 years. Their war is biblical. So where does our ill-conceived shortsighted agenda to democratize them fit? We need not go further than what\u2019s happening in these countries today. Even they refuse to defend themselves!<\/p>\n The president hasn\u2019t learned how to work with policymakers on Capitol Hill. So there\u2019s nothing to expect when he slams his blinders on domestic and foreign policies. He was dissed for acting a day late and a dollar short on Iraq. He\u2019s too busy chasing after a small white ball! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The word corruption is defined as \u201cdishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[496,1043,67,70],"class_list":["post-176265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion","tag-iraq","tag-middle-east","tag-people","tag-technology-2-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176265\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThere was a happy reunion recently with a close friend I\u2019ve known since grammar school. We\u2019d converge and slug it out until we turn purple. We\u2019d pontificate on global issues as though we really had final disposition on substance before final publication.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019ve been treading breaking news on President Obama\u2019s decision to bombard northern Iraq to slow Islamist insurgents\u2019 forward movement in the northern part of the country. This vicious fanatics move on slaughtering thousands upon thousands of Christians. <\/p>\n