Czech version
latest issue home subscribe unsubscribe archive/search contact the fleet sheet


FS Final Word text archive

Corruption czar


Cuba and Bolivia are among only a few countries that have had an anti-corruption ministry. Lots of countries have ethics officers, but it just doesn't sound very good if you elevate the war on corruption to the same level as the justice and interior ministries, since their task is to weed out all crime and corruption anyway. If Radek John is demoted from interior minister to corruption czar as a way to save the Czech government, a highfalutin name for his office will be needed. If he's sincere about getting results, he could perhaps borrow from the Russians and call it the "ministry for civil defense, emergencies and the elimination of the consequences of natural disasters." That would get to the crux of the Czech corruption problem. If he's not sincere, something like "mafia resource center" or "the office for pretending that we're really very serious about eliminating corruption" would be much more fitting.