According to the 2010 Failed States Index, Lebanon ranked 34th, down 5 spots from 2009 which is considered an improvement, but is still a failed state and labeled “in danger”.
Added to that, the CPI, or Corruption Index has not dropped since last year and still stands at 2.5. CPI, calculated by Transparency International, determines the level of corruption in the public sector from 0 (high corruption) to 10 (almost no corrupt officials). [NowLebanon]
You know I realized all this stuff is crap. Realistically, these are made by some white guy in some Western country who THINKS his country is not corrupt.
Really all countries are corrupt and there isn’t enough transparency anywhere. It’s just how they go about it in different countries is what makes this difference.
These so-called modern nations created these types of standards to always make us feel bad about ourselves.
I don’t buy into this one bit.
Some people live in denial. Corruption is ingrained in the Lebanese culture. That’s why miriam doesn’t want to buy it a bit!
I agree with Gianni
Lebanese people just don’t want to admit how bad they have it. No country is perfect but that does not mean the situation in Lebanon is acceptable
Gianni,
I didn’t say Lebanon isn’t corrupt. I said the scale is flawed and skewed. And those who are close to 10 are not actually not corrupt- they are corrupt just not based on the standard set forth by the so-called non-corrupt first world nations.
Mariam.
Let’s put that to a test. Bring in your example and we’ll compare how the process works in Lebanon vs. USA or Italy or Canada etc…. Fair?
Let’s discuss this in terms of say promises made by political parties before they win the elections; or in terms of what happens behind closed doors between politicians. or the fact that in the city I live in – road construction is a “corrupt” system where they spend years on the same street fixing it.
What I’m saying is its not about how they are corrupt… or even how corrupt they are — its that they are corrupt. And that yes we have corruption happening very OPENLY. In countries like the U.S. and Canada its behind closed doors – we can’t point it but its happening. In Canada, if you know about the Toronto 18 or Omar Khadr as simple cases – the way our laws and these peoples rights were abused by our government is unbelievable all while our court system said its not in any way constitutional. Our government like all is corrupt. These scales are pointless. And these so-called non-corrupt nations have their hands in our governments corruptness.
I’m not living in denial- I’m simply stating my opinion on this matter.
mariam,
I do not know much about details of the terrorists that were apprehended in Toronto. The only google response was that they had their due process with lawyers and confessed without torture. Ditto for Omar Khadr who admitted his allegiance to Al Qaeda and is aawaiting sentencing.
There was no so called corruption. Everything was done according to the laws of the country. Now compare those to the so called “Israeli Spies” that supposedly have been caught in Lebanon. Have you heard any further news regarding their “trials”? How about the so called trial of the LAF Pilot Hanna? Is he in jail?
Grazie mille
Sorry I meant the trial of the assassin of the pilot Hanna?
Gianni,
I don’t know about these cases but in Canadian perspective and as a Canadian citizen we do not see these cases as being dealt with according to our laws or constitution. I don’t want to get too much into what these cases are because it isn’t really relevant and whether they were guilty or not isn’t either. What does matter is the way our government treated the issues. It happens everywhere. Lebanon and beyond.
Also, American government is BEYOND corrupt but based on the standard set forth it isn’t seen as so. but hey at least Israel got its place on the scale.
mariam,
Kindly provide links to the “outrage” of Canadians regarding this case. Newspaper articles maybe?
Ciao
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/08/omar-khadr-case-obama-trial
Gianni,
This isn’t something that bothers ALL Canadians for sure. Some people support his mistreatment because he is an “enemy.” But both Canada and the U.S. as being involved in his trial made major mistakes as would be menntioned in the article.
He was the ONLY child soldier to be ever taken to trial and thrown in Guantanamo. As a Canadian, we are supposed to ask for his return as to be tried in Canada and our conservative government refused to do so even though they should have. He was forced to plead guilty in order to come back to Canada and be jailed in Canada. He may have been guilty but the trial was taken on in a very un-Canadian way.
And really this is just of the hundred of stories Canadians hear about and face with our system. Just because we live in a “great” country doesn’t mean everything about it is great. Same applies anywhere. Lebanon is just another example of that.
I think this is a useless kind of argument simply because you want me to believe that no one is as corrupt as the Lebanese government and I’m a strong believer that all governments are corrupt.
mariam
That an opinion piece from a blog? If a 15 year old shot and killed your relative in Lebanon; I wonder where he/she would be tried? Are all Canadians who commit crimes in other countries tried in Canada? regardless let me not spam this nice blog. You are free to see Lebanon in your rosy glasses and Canada in dark.
Gianni,
What I’m saying is neither place is ROSY! and that the standards created are skewed. This isn’t a matter of where is better than another.
All I’m trying to say really at the end of the day is we shouldn’t get so hung up on these scales and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others.
Also, yes an opinion because our news is skewed as well to be in favour of our governments actions. If you want a news piece – you can look look up Omar Khadr Canada on google and you will see that Canadians are caught between totally against and with the Canadian government – even if legally and technically our government is wrong.
And after all, I live in Canada and know how it is. Just like everywhere else it isn’t so rosy. And if you want to believe otherwise … that’s the problem with everyone in Lebanon … they think we live in heaven. We don’t!