Corruption

By Alan Jambulatov

The views expressed reflect the opinions of the contributor and are not necessarily those of THG.

Corruption, deeply rooted in our human nature, draws all our fleeting strength to suppress. Corruption entails an insatiable want to put ourselves above others, to make others lose for our gain. Corruption allows us to loosen our morals, to hurt people, to disregard the pain of others, and worst of all, to harden our hearts. And sadly, all too often do government officials and influential businesses succumb to the ravenous hunger of money, power, and fame while casting aside their people.

Mainly apparent in third world countries like Guatemala where children are frail and starving, often living under cardboard roofs, while the top 0.1% live a lavish lifestyle. Families bath in a man-made river which cycles the dirt over and over, and they will eat anything they can possibly find for survival. However, corruption seeps even into the coveted first world countries. Subtle imprints of corruption lurk in the shadows, swindling money from the poor and giving it to the rich. Yet, even with the persistent need to shine a light on the malfeasance ways of the modern world, there is an urgent need to acknowledge the developing countries, the ones who still have a chance to change.

Kazakhstan: where corruption runs deep in government parties and in business bodies is a known yet unacknowledged fact. Politically powerful and well-connected rich own the market—the Kazakh economy—and suppress the “guaranteed” freedom. Connected to all the banks and major industries, high officials feed off of the back-breaking and underpaid labour of their citizens. Profiting from dirty money and neglecting each tired worker, these people rot their own country from within. Sadly, tyrants worsen the country by emptying the hard-earned profits to western countries, crippling the economy—seen in the currency’s immense plummet which officials avoid by using foreign funds. Monopolies slowly destroy any chance for their people and sink the beautiful country and citizens into inevitable doom. Gloomily, the Kazakh people trudge on, knowing that any rebellion would lead to certain punishment, hoping one day for real equality, when in reality, as long as people allow corruption to control them it will never come.

Nonetheless, there is still hope. Nonetheless, we can fight back. Nonetheless, we can defeat this infectious evil. Kazakh people must stop lurking in the shadows, held down by their nature to submit—stemming from the long oppression of the Soviet Union and the countries “dictatorship” of a government. They need to stop settling for the obvious worse solution: to conform. Kazakhstan overflows with finances from its resource filled lands, hence, the people who have no electricity or cannot afford to live with their meagre pension are cheated out of their rights by the “democratic government.” We have to break free from the endless cycle of selfish people, bleeding their nation dry, even though the powerful have the army in their back pocket, arresting even people holding up a blank sign or one filled with the constitution in public. In order to succeed it is vital that not only a single person fights back, but it has to be everyone. The wicked cannot fight us all; without support they have no power.