A General Reflection on Corruption.

 A General Reflection on Corruption. 

We all know FIFA is corrupt. Sepp Blatter was too, no surprise that Infantino is as well. Can’t recall who was before Blatter, but hey the entire organisation opened itself to corruption. What rankles is politicians getting involved in blatant corruption, acting entitled and with complete disregard for what anybody might think of them. Goodness. 

That this happens often enough everywhere else outside of FIFA doesn’t make it any better or more acceptable. Politically minded lobbyists, for instance, hide behind agendas that make them look “good”. Money goes where it can do “good”. A handshake may be all that makes the deal “good”. And two “good” people or parties walk away, thinking they’ve done something “good”. 

How do we define “good”? Is it the “greater good” that excludes or the more narrowly defined “good” that includes these “good” people or parties? Do they not all benefit in some way when money changes hands, votes are bought, and support is guaranteed? Money speaks. And its voice is usually heard whispered in quiet convos, exchanges of looks, an implicitly understood by the quid pro quo of granting of favours… all bought by an exchange of funds, the age old art of buying your soul. 

This is played out over and over again. A form of bribery that hides behind a thinly disguised veil of generosity, and philanthropy. Those who can, buy support, those who cannot were never part of the “good” to start with. You may have thought you were, or wanted to hope so, but it’s not about the have-nots. If you benefit, it’s almost incidental. 

Once money changes hands, the hands change. They tend to dig in pockets too deep, in pots with prices too steep, and carry blemishes that seep into the soul. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and nothing corrupts the soul better than money, or mammon, as it’s often called. 

You want to be generous? Do it anonymously, with zero “good” convos, no expectations, no agendas, no applause or elevation. Do not give power a corrupting foothold, it will corrupt you absolutely.

Thanks for reading, 

Pav