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Mundane corruption A Russian describes day to day ordinary mundane corruption, in a country where bribery is necessary to get things done.
My cousin had surgery once. Official wait time: half a year. Unofficial wait time with an envelope: three days.
It is not all good news though. The video has some more scary examples involving the education system, police and general government bureaucracy.
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No country is ever perfect – and there was corruption in Russia even before the Marxist coup of 1917, but after the coup (the so called “October Revolution”) corruption became endemic – as did rule by terror (a term “Lenin” used himself – and used with pride).
Mr Putin is a product of that system – as is everyone else in power in Russia.
They may no longer believe in Marxism – but the basic contempt for human dignity and for principles of personal honour (and basic honesty) remains in them.
Never trust Mr Putin – or any of the people in power in Moscow, or even in some little town in the middle of nowhere.
Remember, like so many others around the world, they are the “Official Bandits”.
As for the Soviet health system which was created in the 1920s – the British National Health Service was based upon it. The British “NHS” is less corrupt than Russian health care – but it is also more ideological, more driven by political and cultural agendas.
When Western health care gave up on Jordan Peterson – he went to Russia, on condition (I am told) that he would not have to pay if he was not cured.
He was cured – the Russians earned their money, but they did tell him “I hope you do not care about pain – as we do not”.
Not inflicting pain on him – was not part of the deal.
So waiting a year (or more) on the ‘free’ NHS, vs paying for getting your op in the private healthcare system next month is different how exactly?
Actually it’s like illicitly paying the “free” NHS for faster treatment rather than an actual private provider. It’s not the same but yes, it’s not entirely different either.
“Actually it’s like illicitly paying the “free” NHS for faster treatment rather than an actual private provider. It’s not the same but yes, it’s not entirely different either.”
Given quite often the surgeon doing your private op could well also have been scheduled to do your NHS one, just in many months time, I’d say its pretty damn close to the same thing. Its just called ‘private enterprise’ here, over there its a ‘bribe’. Potayto/potarto, still the same thing really, with a different name.
The same thought struck me, Jim, hence my sarcasm. But there are some things in the video I don’t think apply in the UK, like bribing teachers to not fail your kids or clerks to not lose your paperwork.
Although obviously corruption is a terrible thing — a gross abuse of power — it is worth pointing out that there is an up side to it. Namely that at least you can get things done. I mean if you can shove a brown envelope under your doctor’s door and get access to life saving medication, at least you can get access to the medication. If, to follow a recent example, I’m forced to serve of a jury for two weeks, costing me thousands of dollars in lost earnings, if I can bung the judge a hundred quid to get out of it, at least it is a net gain for me.
In a sense I think that without corruption democracy doesn’t work. With democracy everyone has the same vote and so the large base of the pyramid has massively more voting power than the people at the top. This leads to soak the rich, massively burdensome regulations (two years of paid maternity leave!! Fully paid mental health leave!!! Ten weeks of vacation a year!!!! $30 an hour minimum wage!!!) it must be balanced by the productive members of society taking the edge off by buying off some politicians to prevent the worst excesses.
It is funny, because I was talking to an old friend in Scotland over the weekend who was in the exactly this position — pay $300 to see a general surgeon to help with a problem, or wait a year on the NHS waiting list. So much for the NHS being the crown jewel of the British state.
To be clear I am not at all in favor of corruption, the fundamental problem is not that people are buying favors from politicians, but that politicians have favors to sell. Which is to say, government has massively too much power. But if we are living in the real world rather than a libertarian, free market state, then a few bucks to grease the wheels often is a good investment to make your life better.
A few more politicians going to jail though would be a big help.
Only if you can afford the bribe. And as Rob Fisher notes, it is not just ‘getting things done’, bribery is required to stop these people fucking with you.
Rob Fisher – in Russia sometimes teachers can fail students if you do not bribe the teachers.
In America sometimes school teachers, and university staff, will fail students who are not “Woke”, i.e. not Critical Theory Marxist.
Indeed this appears to be the norm in large parts of America – and Britain. As Marxism has rebranded itself “anti racism”, “feminism” and “environmental justice” – it remains dedicated to tyranny.
Fraser Orr – some democratic countries are quite honest.
The United Kingdom was a democratic, and largely honest, place in the 1950s.
I doubt that corruption improves matters – quite the contrary.
Although it is true that in much of Latin America regulations force people into the “Black Economy” – and a job in the “Black Economy” is better than no job at all, which is the way of “Labour Codes” and government backed “Collective Bargaining”.
This is also becoming true in much of Europe = including the United Kingdom.
Maybe, but not necessarily. My grandfather had many illuminating tales about doing business in Africa over several decades. Sometimes, in Ghana, an official had to be put on retainer to enable business to be conducted uninterrupted by unscheduled inspections and “special licence fees”, and it worked well as this was a very pragmatic form of corruption. The official was downright helpful on several occasions, understanding his cash flow was predicated on my grandfather’s ongoing success.
Other times, in Nigeria, the corruption was more rapacious, far less pragmatic, done by people willing to destroy 50 units of value to extract 1. And so paying officials was by no means certain to induce them to stop getting in the way. Indeed, paying one sometimes caused others to slither out of the woodwork looking for a cut. He eventually stopped doing business in Nigeria, not worth the cost or trouble.
So no, it’s not a good substitute for rule or law & functioning institutions.
“This video has been removed by the uploader”
Yes – Perry corruption is not a good thing, and neither is bureaucracy.
One of the many failures of taxpayer “foreign aid” was the “Ground Nut Scheme” of the Atlee government in the Gold Coast, now Ghana (small world).
Anyway after the scheme failed my father found a buyer for the railway equipment and so on – in Brazil. But he could not get an import license from Brazil, without an export license from the British Empire, and he could not get an export license from the British Empire without a import license from Brazil.
Catch 22 – and a reminder that both the British Empire and Brazil were being chocked by bureaucracy – even many decades ago.
“There is a lot of ruin in a great nation” or “it takes a long time to ruin a great nation”.
The “Social Reformers” have had a long time – both in Britain and in Brazil.
And both these nations are ruined.
As for honesty – Britain was fairly honest back then, Brazil was already corrupt.
Some say that the Brazilian bureaucracy has not been honest since the Emperor was overthrown (not that he put up a fight – he was deep in depression at the time) in 1889.
It certainly has not been honest since the coup at the start of the 1930s.
Still these days, both nations are so chocked with bureaucracy, and with highly political “law” and “law enforcement”, that someone would have to be insane to invest in either Britain or Brazil.
Maybe not quite surgery but I remember being exceptionally annoyed by a post elsewhere about a non-British wife who worked as a GP administrator and boasted about prioritising her countrymen and women for consultations ahead of whitey because she was miffed about having to pay the annual immigration health surcharge (IHS).
It looks like I am going to pay money to get a “security license”.
A useless “training” exercise (teaching me nothing that is true), and no guarantee I will get the “license” even if I pay the money.
But, for some reason, this is not considered corruption.
A person from the security license company in Northampton telephoned back relating to my application on their Website.
The Gentleman could barely speak English – so how he would train anyone for this “license” is unclear (I have noticed that over the years that “licensing” came in, security officers are more and more from overseas – it is sometimes very difficult to communicate with them), and he also insisted on a mobile telephone – a piece of kit I have never been able to use very well. No explanation as to why “study materials” could not be sent to a normal e.mail address.
Well I will not be getting a security “license” – so no need to send this Gentleman any money.
At least a one way rail ticket to railway station near to Beachy Head would not be such an obvious confidence trick.
Fraser Orr’s comment about being able to grease some politicians as a good thing, given the realities of the world, reminds me of a quote from Mike Royko.
Royko was a columnist for the Chicago Tribune (IIRC) and had good advice about a politician who’d been caught with his hand in the till when everyone wanted the guy jailed: Royko said (rough quote) “No, leave him where he is. Now that we caught him, he’ll be on better behavior, at least for awhile.”
GregWA – that did not work with Mayor Curley of Boston.
After he was caught stealing – he went right on stealing.
Tomorrow in Britain the doctors are going on strike – I suspect that would not happen in Russia (I could be mistaken – I do not know).
Also in Britain, like Russia, one now needs a “license” to be a “Security Officer” – a nightwatchman or gate keeper. I did this work for many years – how a “license” is supposed to help in the work is not explained.
In Russia one would pay money (a bribe) and get the “license” – in Britain one has to pay money (a lot of money) to go on a “training course” run by people who do not speak English very well (I suspect people in Moscow speak Russian – I was dealing with people in Northampton which is in the middle of England) and at the end of the so called “training course” there is no guarantee of getting the “license”.
In short – in Britain you might as well throw the money away, as you not going to get what you paid for.
I drew the line when the tried to sell me a mobile phone – so I do not think I will be going on the “training course”.
As for medical care – try looking at the NHS, if it is open.
“Agent of Putin!” – bugger off, I hate Mr Putin.
A friend in New York took her elderly mother to Moscow for a course of injections, unaffordable at home. The modest fee paid, and the first injection was delivered with the syringe in a fist grip and punched in with force. A word to the nurse- “ I really appreciate the expert care you are giving to my beloved mother over the next week- here is a hundred dollars for you” and all subsequent treatments were delivered with the finest care and skill, and finer gauge needles, too.
They do really care about the pain, just not how you think.
Big Palotta.
Yes indeed – that is Russia.
But I also note what you say about New York – and New York is going to get worse.
it is worth pointing out that there is an up side to it [corruption]. Namely that at least you can get things done.
Of course, it would be best to have a small, streamlined, efficient and honest bureaucracy. But we know this is utopia. Bureaucracy is what it is. It is unreformable. So, corruption helps cope. Definitely.
There is an old story about a new governor taking office in some province in Russia in the 19th century. A Jew returns to the shtetl after meeting the new governor. All jews anxiously ask: how is he? The answer: gewald! terrible catastrophe! he doesn’t take bribes.
Here is the AI (copilot) version:
A new governor arrives in the province. The Jewish elders gather nervously.
One of them reports:
“Oy vey! A catastrophe! The new governor doesn’t take bribes!”
Jacob – in Russia, back in the 19th century – or the early 1900s, one paid a doctor directly (although local councils also employed doctors – and some were employed by the church).
The idea of a reasonably well off person, someone who could afford to travel round the world, being unable to afford injections would have been considered mad – because it is mad.
Think about it – someone in New York City travelling all the way to Russia because they can not afford medical treatment in New York City.
The endless subsidies (subsidies in health care INCREASE costs – just as subsidizing tuition fees makes tuition fees explode over time) and endless regulations and guild-like (and government backed) “professional bodies” – have made medical care incredibly expensive in the United States.
Again – it is mad, utterly mad, that someone should go to all the trouble (and expense) of travelling thousands of miles to Russia (the other side of the world) because they can not afford health care in the United States.
This has to be ended – the present system, bureaucracy “professional bodies” and all, must be ended.
The “Progressive” movement, with its licensing, and endless government subsidies and regulations, has led to this insanity.
And, yes, taxpayer money going to corporate bodies, insurance companies and independent hospitals, over which the the taxpayers have no control – is part (a very big part) of this insanity.
It is not the job of government to dish out endless taxpayer money to corporations and corporate bodies – anyone who thinks that is “free enterprise capitalism” is away with the elves and pixies.