In more than one of our stories today there is a hint of corruption, and it is the banking sector again that the finger has been pointed. Nothing proved but there is a smell that something bad lurks at the bottom (or in these cases maybe the top).

In another story today FIFA, itself tainted from the core out with corruption, is looking at possible corruption in the largest football monetary deal involving the selling of a player to another team.

And corruption has spread to the cybersecurity pros who are employed to protect our networks from hacking.

Not only have some of these pros paid ransom demands, so as to hide the fact their so called security we are paying for isn’t so secure after all, but have actually let hackers in for a price!

And with an election just days away there are cries of politicians being corrupt. With not one single bit of actual hard evidence nor even a case or individual named just a whisper on the social network, or a reply to an newspaper article implying someone should investigate, and the seed (a rotten one) has been sown.

Is it easier now to believe politicians are corrupt than they are honest.

Certainly in the underdeveloped countries corruption is so blatant and easy the politicians haven’t even had the need to hide it, but the tide is slowly changing.

In the western world more and more politicians are being made accountable and some even find themselves in jail.

In the latest missive from Transparency International (2016) they say:

“Let’s get straight to the point: No country gets close to a perfect score in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2016.

“Over two-thirds of the 176 countries and territories in this year’s index fall below the midpoint of our scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average score is a paltry 43, indicating endemic corruption in a country’s public sector. Top-scoring countries (yellow in the map) are far outnumbered by orange and red countries where citizens face the tangible impact of corruption on a daily basis.”

Pretty damning, isn’t it.

“In too many countries, people are deprived of their most basic needs and go to bed hungry every night because of corruption, while the powerful and corrupt enjoy lavish lifestyles with impunity.”
José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International

The same group also warn – “The interplay of corruption and inequality also feeds populism. When traditional politicians fail to tackle corruption, people grow cynical. Increasingly, people are turning to populist leaders who promise to break the cycle of corruption and privilege. Yet this is likely to exacerbate – rather than resolve – the tensions that fed the populist surge in the first place.”

And what worries me even more – “More countries declined than improved in this year’s results, showing the urgent need for committed action to thwart corruption.”

So, if you perceived corruption is increasing – sadly you are right.