Quote from: Lucius on September 11, 2025, 01:32:10 PM

All of this reminds me of the situation in the EU where some countries, despite having been members of the union for more than a decade, cannot move from the bottom because the old structures do not want to change, as they are a continuation of the old communist structures that remain deeply rooted in all systems of government. When one political party rules a country for ten years continuously and has about thirty ministers who are caught in dirty business, and receives praise from Brussels, then it is a clear sign that even here in the West things are not nearly as they are portrayed.

Corruption not only impacts one aspect of life but also creates a widespread domino effect on the existence of the nation and state. Corruption is destructive because important decisions are determined by the ulterior motives of decision-makers without regard for the consequences for the wider community.

The link between the communist party and high levels of government fraud is indeed due to the centralization of power, weak oversight, and closed system inherent in one-party regimes. The communist ideology, which rejects private ownership, can in practice give rise to a party elite with full access to state resources, making them vulnerable to abuse. However, communism is not the sole cause of corruption; many non-communist countries experience similar issues. Therefore, the key factor is not ideology alone, but rather a political system that lacks transparency and accountability.

Bad leaders are born from a combination of uncritical voters, unhealthy political parties, and an immature democratic system.

The root of the current problem: Money politics and patronage: Many voters ultimately vote for money or short-term favors, rather than long-term programs. Lack of political education: Not everyone understands the impact of policies. As a result, popularity often outweighs integrity. The role of political parties: Parties often nominate candidates based on elite interests, rather than the aspirations of the people. Thus, the people's choices are actually limited from the start. The media creates framing, and voters are often presented with images, not substance. This narrows the rational space for choosing.

Quote from: Findingnemo on September 11, 2025, 03:44:46 PM

They created an image that you study hard and get a good job and then retire which brought certain mindset to majority of the people how they are going to live their life and leave room for the bad people to be in the authoritative positions.

Study, work, retire—a socio-economically correct view, but not absolutely politically correct. This mindset must be eliminated because it reduces citizens to economic machines. States often emphasize only studying for work, working for taxes, and then retiring with social security. Yet, the role of citizens in politics is far more complex. Ignoring the role of older people, many countries demonstrate that retirees are highly politically active (e.g., lobbying, social movements, high election participation). Politics knows no retirement; in fact, many national and global leaders have been active into old age (Mahathir Mohamad, Joe Biden, Nelson Mandela).

The ideal in politics is lifelong learning, active participation, and contribution until the end.

Solutions : continuous political education not just during elections, but through the curriculum, media, and community organizations. Political party reform, to base party cadre recruitment on capacity, not money. Strengthening media literacy so that the public can distinguish image from substance. Strict law enforcement to reduce money politics and nepotism.

Quote from: bhadz on September 10, 2025, 10:17:43 PM

Indonesia and Nepal have done their part to fight corruption through brutal protests. But many of us are just lurkers and watching it out because they hold the military and the Philippine national police. The situation here is different, these crocs(corrupt) are not scared of the people because they have the swindled money from our taxes and they'll just bribe anyone who'll fight against them. Like now, the investigation is going through with the house of representatives and the senate. But these two are independent bodies and doing their own thing with their way. It's sad that there's a change quickly with the leadership in the senate when the proponents, Discayas have already exposed a lot of names. Many lives are struggling and even lost when floods have come, it's not like this before when budget for flood controls have spent properly.

Protests in Indonesia were indeed brutal and full of anarchy and ended in looting and burning of assets of officials and legislators. But in my opinion the demonstrations / protests failed because nothing changed significantly, in fact the demonstrations almost brought Indonesia to a state of national martial law, which for Indonesian citizens is more frightening because the Indonesian national army will take over (dominate), remembering the era of the Old Order regime (Soeharto) who ruled for 32 years. Soeharto became the first most corrupt figure in the world followed by President Ferdinand Marcos in second place.