What nation has no corruption?

[begin_within]

I was asked this yesterday during a conversation about corruption in the governments of various countries around the world. I couldn't come up with an answer.

[shadowknows69]

1. What nation has more than us?

I suspect there are some but not many.

[Nederland]

2. Actually many have more than the US (nt)

[shadowknows69]

3. I'm not even sure how that would be judged

got a list?

[Nederland]

8. Here's one

http://ww1.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html

The US is listed at 17 out of 145 (with #1 being the least corrupt and #145 being the most corrupt).

[shadowknows69]

11. I'm sure we could do better than 17

if our leaders really put their minds to it.

[CJCRANE]

10. Depends on the scale -

there are many developing where bribes are part of everyday life...

However, at the top end it seems like the no-bid billion-dollar contracts for Halliburton and the 8-billion dollar black-hole of Bremer's CPA (not forgetting the trillion dollar black-hole at the Pentagon) are pretty much in the big league for corruption.

[reichstag911]

13. I don't know about that.

Think about it: money=power...power corrupts...the US is the wealthiest nation on earth. Any logical conclusions to be drawn? Keep in mind, also, that the corruption is limited in "banana republics" to a much smaller circle than you find here. If Bush's tax cuts weren't a payoff to his well-heeled corporate co-conspirators, what were they, sound fiscal policy? :rofl:

[warrens]

4. Zero? Probably none

But New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Finland and a few others have pretty good reps.

[Kutjara]

5. Maybe Iceland?

Andorra? If they do have corruption, it will be pretty small scale, because the countries are small scale.

I suppose it's a corrolary of the old 'power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely' dictum. The bigger the country, the more power it's leadership possesses. The more power, the more corruption. Beyond some minimum population threshhold (probably quite a low one), corruption becomes the dominant ruling principle.

[Nederland]

9. Close. Finland is at the top of this list

http://ww1.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html

Iceland was ranked #3

[Kutjara]

14. Finland makes sense.

Aside from embezzling a Reindeer or taking eminent domain over someone's icefishing hole, there isn't all that much scope for corruption.

Seriously, I spent some time in Finland and was surprised by how close-knit the society is there, even in 'big' cities like Helsinki. Everyone seems to know everyone. I think this must tend to keep corruption down, because a corrupt official would probably be ostracized pretty quickly. It also helps that income differentials between rich and poor are quite small and most people are middle class.

[LSK]

16. excellent link, thanks

[John Q. Citizen]

6. Corruption is reletive. Under leadership who recognize

long term goals of a properos and just society, corruption is minimal. Under leadership who looks to where they can make a quick buck, corruption is rampant.

[LWolf]

7. None, until humans evolve beyond corruption. n/t

[texastoast]

12. Depends

on what corruption is perceived to be. I know what you mean, but it really is just a matter of current cultural/social opinion.

[LSK]

15. Switzerland? Iceland? Finland?

Probably no questions, but what is the level of corruption? That would be a more helpful discussion.