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West Africa, Malta and the Balkans in 1999

LIBERIA

Bec
2004-09-18 19:43:32

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separate from that of their own private resources. As far as they know, corruption is the norm for that is all that they had seen for generations. Most of them accept that it is the prerogative any official to demand graft at any level of government.

A political career can be a very attractive proposition when corruption is so widely accepted and practiced. In many countries it is the only place where any real money can be made. Politics is the poker table with best odds and the highest stakes in Africa.

With such high stakes it is no wonder that it attracts all kinds of adventurers and desperados that would not be tempted to go into politics in countries where there is less money to be made without risk because corruption is better controlled.

In my mind, Liberia is a textbook example of the mechanism by which corruption leads to dictatorship, revolution and civil war. History repeats itself over and over. We have seen the same process at work not only in Africa but also in many other places, namely South America.

As I see it, Russia and Central Asia are now in the dictatorship phase of the cycle. We can all shudder at what the revolution and civil war that might complete the cycle will be like. We are all concerned for corruption prevents the establishment of an even playing field for the operation of the global economy. It is in the interest of each one of us to do something to fight international corruption.

On a lighter vein, this shot shows that there is always a good time to be had with good friends and a glass of beer, even here in war torn Liberia. These courageous African born Lebanese businessmen were reluctant to talk about the ordeal they had lived through but they had not lost their love of life and sense of humour. In the back, Louis Haddad, the hotel owner and friend Marta Cisco, in front from left to right, Jacques Khalef, yours truly and Alex Karout.

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