It is likely that politicians have been prone to corruption ever since the leader of the first organized group of cavemen realized that he could get a bigger piece of wooly mammoth meat by making promises that he knew could never keep. We are now in the 21st century, however, and the consequences of official corruption should be wholly apparent to any member of the body politic. Such a realization, however, appears to have done nothing to stop corruption in the highest and the lowest of places. In Pakistan, thousands of corruption cases that had been suspended have now been reinstated and the Shoura Council here in the Kingdom has called for the establishment of an anti-corruption committee in the face of the flooding catastrophe in Jeddah. No one, of course, seems to remember the legislation that was passed in the Kingdom just a couple of years ago in which all-out war was to be declared on official corruption and no one was to be immune. Unfortunately and depressingly, corruption may be intrinsic to politics, but there are ways to combat it. First of all, a wholly independent investigation of corruption must be undertaken with the guarantee that anyone interfering with or seeking to influence the outcome would meet severe consequences. Secondly, everyone investigators seek to speak to must be compelled by law to speak to the investigators. And lastly an uncensored report must be issued in which the specifics of the corruption uncovered are clearly stated. Governments exist to serve their people and by serving their people enable their people to feel the need and responsibility to serve them. Corruption, however, breaks that bond and essentially sets up a system of exploitation of the people for the comfort and advancement of those in certain positions of power. Sometimes, especially in the case of inadequate infrastructure to serve the people, corruption can result in disastrous consequences for the people. Especially when that happens, those who are corrupt must take responsibility and face the consequences. __
