There is an ancient scholar who says that governments should be run for the benefit of their people, with trained and paid civil servants. Nizam Al-Mulk. Most countries and regions have some famous philosophers of government. But then, the current practice Question: how to link philosophy with practice?

Thank you for posting this summary of Chayes, Chapters 1-4. You have set a good example for other students, as their turn comes along to lead a discussion on a topic. From your report, I pick a couple of topics to discuss.

1. note the big corruption (the non-profit takes government contracts and uses the money for its organizational leaders rather than the build the bridge and the bridge is deteriorating) and small corruption (taking from petty cash and, of course, not keeping receipts. Both big and small dimensions are taking resources away from authorized expenditures. And both types of corruption are demoralizing to the local population, who see their future going into the pockets of well-connected people.

2. corruption was “legitimized” from the top to the bottom. Can a local citizen believe that the government works for all of its citizens?

3. There is an ancient scholar who says that governments should be run for the benefit of their people, with trained and paid civil servants. Nizam Al-Mulk. Most countries and regions have some famous philosophers of government. But then, the current practice Question: how to link philosophy with practice?

4. It is important to note that every bit of government corruption was a victory for the opposition (the Taliban). This is one reason why it was not difficult for the Taliban to take over. And remember that the Taliban was “liberating the country from an occupying army (the Americans and their friends). This is a powerful narrative. Afghanistan has 12 tribes who think they each “own” their own territory. The Taliban are one of the tribes. Now, one tribe is lording it over the others. During the American occupation, we favored a different tribe. The Mujajedeen are protesting the Taliban takeover in the northeast of the country. WOW, it is complicated.

5. You can see how it is self-descrutive to ignore corrupt practices. But then, it seems easier to look the other way when corruption is noticed. This may be expedient in the short run, but it is ultimately a disaster in the long run.
DISCUSS