Chasing corruption from a molting China
- By Alexandre Lesto
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China.org.cn, July 5, 2011
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Guo Meimei Baby shows off her luxurious lifestyle. |
This week we witnessed the purported holy and selfless falling prey to venality. Unless you've been living in a cave, you've witnessed the public humiliation and fall from grace of the Red Cross here in China. The mismanagement of donations, leading to a 4.2 million yuan splurge on overpriced equipment, combined with a 20-year-old woman, Guo Meimei, flaunting her wealth on microblogs while claiming she worked for the philanthropic organization, have irreversibly tarnished its image.
For something so pervasive, change must come from the head. Until the government roots out the worms from its midst, the problem among the general population will only worsen.
So, is the government moving in the right direction? Has it taken a new approach toward eradicating corruption? Has it instilled itself with a new sense of urgency in dealing with a condition that is destined to grow into more than a mere annoyance if it is not curbed?
The first response would seem to be: sure. This latest wave of accused officials, and the promise for more audits, gives the effect of a government shining a light into dark pockets of unscrupulousness, a move that displays a degree of transparence, where the bad guys are brought to justice and punished and where we go to sleep soundly with the knowledge that the corrupt we witness will account for their crimes.
