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Interactive Poll: Is it Corruption? You Decide


In this Friday, July 2, 2010 picture an unidentified man shows dirty one dollar notes before washing them in Harare, Zimbabwe. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
In this Friday, July 2, 2010 picture an unidentified man shows dirty one dollar notes before washing them in Harare, Zimbabwe. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Everybody has their own perception of what is corruption and what is an acceptable "service charge" for goods and services delivered.

What do you think? Take our short polls to see how your perceptions measure up to our other readers.



Your Thoughts: collected from Facebook

What counts as corruption?

I think anytime a person in authority whether it is in the classroom as a teacher, a law enforcement official or a boss in business uses their authority for gain, it is corruption. - Michael Geraghty

In my profession, the doctor will hire their spouse to manage the practice, even if the spouse has no management experience. That is American business as usual. - Jeff Scott

It depends situation to situation. Paying a small fee to avoid a fine is corruption but paying a teacher or a poor office clerk a tip I do not think is corruption. It's only a matter of injustice of society where they are being forced into such acts while not being paid at least for their needs. - Lemar Sadat Mangal

Is it preventable?

These people are becoming victims of their own actions, which has been eventually brought about poor economic policies of their governments - Bambu Nkolongu

I once encountered a scenario of corruption about 14 years ago when my younger sister was in primary school, She came to my room and knocked at my door. As she entered the room she said; please brother can you give five Naira. I asked her what she wanted to do with it and she replied; I am late for school and i would be beaten by the prefects but if I give them the five Naira they will let me free. I was surprised and concluded that he who thinks will fight corruption is deceiving himself. - Baba Isa

Humans are innately corrupt. In modern society it is mostly driven by greed ...a willingness to exploit others for personal gain. - Curtis DeMartini

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