How much is enough?
2007-04-06
It's sometime said that Czech politicians take bribes because
they're poor. In Parliament, certain MPs are willing to sell their
vote for as little as Kč 10,000. If only these "poor" politicians
earned more, the argument goes, they'd start putting the
country's needs before their own. Electing rich people is one of
the solutions often proposed. But would it work? Look to the
Czech corporate world for a clue. Salaries are rising, managers
are earning handsome bonuses or stock options, and an upper-
middle class is forming. Yet we continue to hear stories about
managers as high as the board level skimming from advertising
or sponsorship contracts, buying from related entities, or
manipulating their stock prices. How much does it take before
they get enough? As in the case of the "poor" politicians, they'll
never get enough as long as greed and opportunity are the
driving forces.
[Czech Republic corruption]
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