Corruption is one of the biggest menaces that have faced the current world. It is vice that has robed many if not all nations a lion share of the resources that would otherwise been placed in capital projects. Across the globe political corruption has manifested in the manner that public officers have used their de jure powers for illegitimate benefits.
The political officers who are charged with the core obligation of discharging their mandate with the cardinal objective of protecting the interest of the public have gone astray and turned a threat to the welfare of their employers, the citizens who pay taxes hoping better delivery of public goods.
“Corruption manifests itself in varied forms that range from bribery, nepotism, misappropriation of resources, graft and patronage,” Ades,A & Di Tella, R. (1995). This kind of practices has resulted in the loss of public confidence on their own government .During electioneering period political candidates have promised haven to the electorate on their desire to relentlessly fight the vice raising the public morale to vote in favor of such candidates.
These expectations abort immediately after the winners take over governance and begin to slow down their promises. Many governments have put in place institutions that are geared towards spearheading the war against graft. The anti graft bodies have ended up utilizing public resources without proper accountability as to the output from execution of their mandate.
Globalization has had a great impact on corruption .With globalization the ways in which corruption is practiced has been transformed to take into consideration the technological advancement. The improved communication in the mobile telephony for example has enhanced coordination between various corrupt officials and made it possible for faster corrupt practices. Globalization has enhanced transnational activities e.g. human trafficking, drug trafficking and terrorism.
The war on corrupt practices has also been complicated with better new ideas and software that conceals evidence necessary for indictment of corrupt officers. However, globalization has also enhanced the fight against corruption by boosting the modes of carrying out investigation and improving the methods of netting criminals e.g. through the use if CCTV surveillances and use of modern equipment in fighting terrorism.
The transnational security threat caused by corruption is fast escalating across the boarders of the nations. Some of the security threats arising from corrupt activities include drug trafficking, international terrorism, kidnapping, international illegal immigration and money laundering. These threats to security has created instability causing fear by investors and other economic agents to withdraw their investments a move that has adversely affected the economic prosperity and growth of the economies (Chinhamo, O. & Shumba, G. 2007).
It is the misuse of the legitimate authority that has hugely fueled these activities that results in the global threat and security gap. The custom officers who are responsible for guarding the territorial boarders against smuggling of dangerous products have severally abdicated their mandate of protection and continuously used their position for selfish and short term economic benefits.
Taking into account the threat of drug trafficking has led to the fraudulent smuggling of illegal drugs onto the countries boundaries without having followed the legal procedures and practices (Benaissa, H. 1993).
Worst still is that the syndicate that trades in the dangerous drugs is the top government officials and rich business person who are hard to bring into account and have proper legal verdict passed to them. The act has further increased the distributional gap between the rich and the have not. Again the drugs like cocaine, bhang and nicotine among other drugs have negatively robbed the states the strong labour force that could contribute greatly to the nation’s income.
Majority of the drug consumers are the youth who after addiction and drunkenness have been driven into oblivion and thus becoming non productive. Some have thereafter engaged in criminal activities e.g. crimes and theft a situation that has created instability and led to heavy expenditure on the security budget.
Atatas S.H. (1990) argues that International illegal immigration which is also as a result of corruption has caused a threat to security as citizens from other nations aim at extending terrorism in peaceful states. These individuals are characterized by sneaking with dangerous arsenal that can be used to destroy the peaceful coexistence. The immigration officers have thus slept on the job by not becoming strong on the need to be vigilant on international movement thus enhancing criminal activities across the globe.
Human trafficking has also been in the rise in the international scenario. Many individuals have been kidnapped across the boarders and detained. The kidnappers have always demanded exorbitant payment in order to release the victims. This way corruption has been facilitated by the collusion of our security servicemen to drive the world in further security threats.
International terrorism has for a long duration remained a headache in the international situation with many heads of states organizing for international treaties and agreements on the need to corporate to help eradicate the threat of terrorism. Terrorism has destroyed trillions of investments within seconds when missiles are directed towards cities and towns with a bid to have supremacy gains.
The world leader s who are interested in having recognition without any tangible reasons have embarked on this kind of unproductive war to have themselves known. Through the wanton destruction of property the states have lost a great deal of resources that could be used to finance capital projects
Finally, the impact caused by money laundering has threatened countries financial system and caused financial panic amongst the various financial institutions. Income that has sneaked into the financial system without clear roots has made it difficult for the policymakers to come up with policy documents that can help manage the economy in prudent manner. The practice has resulted into serious inflationary impact and financial shock that has caused financial flight.
This move has retarded the growth of the economies and employment has thus been curtailed as a result of the minimum opportunities. What now remains clear is that the transnational crimes that results from corruption are of high gravity and must be given the attention and weight necessary for mitigating their huge impacts.
Accordingly to Ades,A & Di Tella, R. (1995). the US government should build on its international relations with other states and nations around the globe to assist in curtailing the terrorism threat and drug trafficking amongst various crimes. It is in only symbiotically coordinating with other states and international community that may aid easy apprehending of the criminals.
The upheaval that is likely to be encountered is the differing international laws and varied practices and cultures. Any way it would be much easy and cheaper for seeking this cooperation and integration as international unnecessary barriers will be past constraint.
In conclusion the adverse effects of corruption are of great magnitude and efforts have to be put into place to help curb the problem. Corruption must be viewed in a wider perspective and the manners in which it intersects with other transnational threat are indispensable in our discussion. It is therefore in order for every patriotic us citizen to shun this vice and avoid engaging in any act that breach the set laws.
Reference List
Ades,A & Di Tella, R. (1995). Competition and Corruption: Applied Economics Discussion. Oxford: Oxford University press.
Atatas S.H. (1990). Corruption: Its nature, Causes and functions.Aldershot: Alianza
Benaissa, H. (1993). Corruption and the Socio-cultural cotext. Deventer: Kluwer Law and taxation publishers
Chinhamo, O. & Shumba, G. (2007). Institutional working definition of corruption. London: Macmillan Publishers.