A Panorama of Corruption in Developing Countries

Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon. Developed countries do have lesser corruption within, than developing countries, but they do indulge in corrupt practices while marketing their defence equipment or other mega deals with developing countries. In developing countries, people face corrupt practices at every step: adulterated milk, adulterated vegetables and oils; bribe to get water or electric connection, bribe or underhand donation for admission in schools, and colleges; brokers to get driving licence, registration of vehicles; corruption in police cadres who check: goods transport vehicles service industry, and security and safety of women. The corruption industry is rampant,when ever one needs an approval or licence to set up any services or industry. But now there is awareness among people in developing countries against corruption. What are the specific corrupt practices in developing countries?

Donate in temples to launder the bad money

1. In India, a devotee can donate any amount in a temple without disclosing his name. Donations to temples have no limits. The rich temples do get 100 million US dollars every year, in offerings. It is devotion to God.

* But, isn't this an impropriety towards God, if the big money donated is black money. Unfortunately, the devotees, who are reluctant to pay social taxes, they donate happily towards religious activity. When illegal money is donated for temple construction, or missionary purposes, it is laundered money. Do we honour God, by offering black money?

Creativity in dishonest dealing

2. To do honest dealings is no big deal. There is no creativity. To tell truth needs no creativity. To lie convincingly is an art. An evil art! To do corruption is an art. A corrupt person convinces the victim of his best intentions to help. But in the long chain of officials in the department, he is a small fry and unable to change the existing practices. The victim gratefully gives the money and his job is done.

3. A historical corruption story. 500 years ago, there was a notorious corrupt official in India, working for King Akbar. The King posted him in a town, near the sea. He was given a job, where he was unlikely to make extra money, by corrupt practices. His job was to count number of waves hitting the shore everyday and keep a record. The king was happy that he has out-smarted the corrupt official. But he was wrong.

* The official was corrupt and creative. He found out a way to make money. During the day, when he was counting the number of waves, he would not allow fishing boats to ply in the area, on the pretext that boats could affect the number of waves. People offered him money - for they had to catch fish for living - which he accepted. He continued enjoying his corrupt money.

Corruption techniques

3. A creative corrupt person has many tricks up his sleeves. Any financial transaction involves two parameters: number of purchased quantity or sold, and price, which depends upon quality. He can manipulate the deal: variation in quantity and quality of ordered and received stores. There are endless avenues for corruption, in every transaction, service, or activity.

(a) Underpricing exports. An exporter would under-price, his products in the invoice and ask his clients abroad, to deposit the balance in his account in a foreign country. Switzerland was the favourite heaven, in this regard as it ensured secrecy. This option is under strict analysis by many governments. US and India have pressurised Switzerland to inform them, the names of secret bank-account holders - to check money laundering.

(b) Manipulating the quality of product supplied. In 1971, an Indian official had to procure 10000 sarees for Bangladesh refugee-ladies living in a camp in India. Price of a white saree was Rs 10, and a color saree was Rs 12. He bought 5000 white sarees and 5000 color sarees as per invoice, but asked for delivery of all white sarees. The deal saved Rs 10000 for the businessman, who happily shared 50% with the official, who had suggested the idea. The business man later deposited Rs 1000 in the temple for God. He justified his unlawful deal by thinking: 'If I had not accepted his proposal, somebody else would have obliged, and I would have lost my client for ever'.

(c) Tampered weights, and magnets. A fruit/vegetable seller in a small city or rural area in Oriental countries, uses: either a magnet underneath one of the pans of traditional balances - obsolete in Western countries; or he uses tampered weights to cheat the customers. Electronic weighing machines have curbed this evil, to some extent, where ever these are used, but soon the corrupt, creative minds will find a way out.

(d) Endless trips to an office for want of proper information. People go to an office to get identification papers, driving licence, and property mutation documents etc. They are not sure of the procedure. When a person buys s property, it may take years to get the property transferred in his name. There are agents, who in collaboration with the officials exploit the situation. They are all deeply religious persons, but they happily accept a facilitating monetary tip.

(e) Maintenance corruption. It is the easiest and safest way to make a quick buck. The corrupt officials and contractors in connivance with each other, receive a payment for a maintenance job, which was never done - repair of roads, street lights maintenance, regular cleaning of roads and public utility buildings..

(f) Transportation corruption. The drivers of goods-trucks overload the commercial vehicles, pick up people en route illegally, and may take unauthorised goods, for some extra money. The traffic police is on the look out and demand their pound of flesh. In 1980, at each major road-crossing, the driver was expected to give Rs 10, 20 or 30 - depending upon the rank of checking police official. The present rates would be much higher.

4. Things are changing

* The RTAs - Regional Transport Authority - are responsible for registration of vehicles and issuing driving licence. In the past agents had a major share in all the transactions.They pocketed hefty commissions for services rendered and gave a share to RTA staff, as well. Now the RTA offices display list of documents required for different jobs and the job is easily done. As a result, the flourishing business of agents has gone down.

* There is awareness in developing countries regarding ill effects of corruption. They know that Scandinavian countries, are free from corruption. People are aware that for a country to develop, it has to be corruption free.

5. How to confirm if dealings are honest?

There is a method. Whatever you do, imagine it is reported in a newspaper, if it causes you embarrassment, it is not an honest deal.

* There is a classic example of a British officer, who was posted to India prior to independence. He had 2 sets of candles at home: first set for doing office work at home, purchased with official funds and second set for doing personal work at home, which was purchased with personal money. We need more such people these days.

The Importance of Vehicle News

Are you looking for a new exotic vehicle? Do you want to replace your old car with a new one? If yes, you can find it online. The internet and computer technology have helped many businesses to inform people about their latest news and other information easily. Keeping pace with the demand of the day, the number of news and information providing portals has increased significantly. Now there are many news portals offering latest car news to keep you updated with the latest trends.

Vehicle news portals are very useful. These portals can help you take right decision at the time of buying cars. Some of them offer a plethora of car options to choose from. There are some news portals presenting vehicle news in the most attractive and impressive ways. A vast majority of them include many dedicated sections for keeping people updated with a lot of things. They may include blog section, review section, news section and much more. Some of them have their different niches to help the visitors find their desired things with their least possible efforts. A significant number of interactive websites share a strong platform for their audiences. Most of these websites offer strong platforms that allow users to ask various questions and get answers quickly. A few of these websites include instant chat options and allow you to chat with other visitors. These are very user-friendly. They can offer you many "call to action" points. With certain images, links, buttons or user interface elements, these websites motivate you to take their desired actions. On those platforms, you can find many colorful pictures and graphics. These are very good to convey a message in a simpler way.

In this article, I shall discuss on the importance of vehicle news

Helps you take a right purchase-decision

This is the significant benefit of vehicle news. As you get to know about various cars with their advantages and disadvantages, you can decide the right car for you. As many websites include review sections, you can know the opinions of other car-users.

Keeps you aware of the latest cars and vehicle information

You stay updated with the new cars, motorcycles or other vehicles that are coming to your national market. Most of the news stories include the names of the places from where you can buy the newest cars.

Saves your money, time and effort

As you do not need to go outside of your home to talk to many marketing managers, you can save your time. You can save the fuel of visiting one showroom to another. You do not need to cross-check information with the other car experts.

Daniel Mcbreen is a professional writer. He is interested in writing articles on vehicle news.

Department of Justice Releases Drone Policy Guidance

The Department of Justice released its guidelines for department's use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems on Friday, May 22nd. The document explains DOJ's support of UAS use in Law Enforcement and also provides warnings about the protection of Forth Amendment and First Amendment rights, preventing unreasonable or warrantless searches, as well as protecting the Privacy Act of 1974.

With the rise of this new technology, Law Enforcement needs to give great attention to what circumstances their department's uses an Unmanned Ariel Vehicle. One of the historical, but quickly fading fears of the American population is that law enforcement is going to use "drones" to spy on them and keep a constant eye on the public.

The DOJ document is meant more as a compliment to the existing FAA guidelines. Backing the FAA with requirements such as personnel having to undergo continuous training, supervisor permissions before each mission, and obtaining warrants in certain circumstances.

The Department of Justice is also requiring that the data collected from a UAV "containing personally identifiable information" not be held for "more than 180 days unless retention of the information is determined to be necessary for an authorized purpose" (paragraph 10, DOJ). This is a reiteration of the Privacy Act of 1974 and the recent Presidential Memorandum by President Barack Obama (Memorandum). Stressing the importance of constitutional rights and proper investigation procedures.

Paragraph 8 states that even when it is authorized to use a UAV for investigative purposes, the department should consider other methods before engaging in UAV surveillance. Basically, even though these aircraft can be used for a lot of different things and are inherently cost effective and time saving tools, please consider other methods for data collection before using a UAV. We want to keep them, don't over use them.

All in all, the document sounds promising to the future use and integration into law enforcement agencies. Across the board, one of the main concerns with these aircraft is the protection of privacy within the country. The DOJ recognizes these aircraft as a useful tool that can be effective in investigations. The DOJ is basically saying, be careful. While the American population is becoming more and more comfortable with LE using drones for operations, they are still greatly under-informed as a whole. By creating solid standard operating procedures and responsible individuals behind the sticks, LE can expect to use these aircraft for years to come. Understand the aircraft. Stay up to date on the technology and information that is rapidly changing around the world.

ISIS Violence Against Non-Sunni Muslims Will Speed Up Modernisation of Islam

ISIS is in the news for violence in the Middle East, and Africa. It is spreading its tentacles in Europe, Australia and Asia. It has successfully wooed educated young Muslims in the UK, France, Netherlands, and Australia, who are participating voluntarily in Syria and Iraq. How ISIS has successfully motivated the young Muslims - men and women - to leave a comfortable life for a religious war is a unique exercise in human resources management. Humanity should have nipped ISIS in the bud. Believers in ISIS are barbaric in their approach towards dissidents. The issue is more important than the Ukraine crisis. The developed countries have to take initiative and stop this menace to humanity. ISIS is nurturing itself on devotion of ignorant, and illiterate Sunni Muslims, who believe whatever the fundamentalist religious teachers speak about their religion. Their teachings aren't always in conformity with the Qur'an.

1. ISIS is in the news for its violence against non-Sunni Muslims and non-Muslims all over the World. The killings by ISIS, in Tunisia, Libya, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Egypt, will impact tourism industry in these countries directly. As a corollary, it will affect tourism industry in other Muslim countries as well - Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Morocco, and other Middle East countries.

2. These countries offer more tourism-value for the money, with their rich archeological heritage. But with the danger of terrorism looming large on the horizon, tourists will avoid the countries. Maybe terrorists will learn their lesson, and avoid killing the goose which lays golden eggs for their countries' economy. ISIS may change its strategy by increasing its activities in developed countries, where the deterrent is, an efficient and professionally managed security force.

3. The Muslim countries are rich; their oil based economy is strong, and religious cohesiveness is exemplary. In developed countries, attendance in churches is dwindling among younger generation, where as among Muslims, attendance in mosques and participation by younger generation in rituals such as a month-long Ramadan fasting is meticulously observed.

4. ISIS has a strong dedicated following of Sunni Muslims. They have successfully motivated Muslims in all countries to join ISIS in its war against non-Muslim religions, non-Sunni-Muslims - Shias, moderate Sunnis, other Muslim sects, and countries which are hostile to ISIS: US, UK and France. Developed countries are losing the battle in media, and have failed to adequately influence moderate Muslims, against terrorism and fundamentalism.

5. ISIS has an advantage. It is easy to brainwash illiterate people, who will do anything for their religion. The West has yet to learn, how to counter the social media effect of ISIS on illiterate as well as educated Sunni Muslims. A suggested strategy is as follows:

Don't laugh at others

* The West believes in freedom of speech. It is good to laugh, but it is better to laugh at ourselves, and our religion's irrational beliefs and rituals. We should not laugh at others' beliefs and rituals. All religions have irrational rituals and beliefs. The West has blundered by drawing caricatures of the Muslim Prophet, on the pretext of exercising freedom to speech and expression. This has alienated even educated Muslims in developed countries.

Use media to explain Quran to Muslims

* Western media has not talked or interacted with Muslims directly. It has written about Muslims, for others. To win over moderate Muslims, it is imperative that the Western media interacts directly with Muslims all over the World, to explain Qur'an.

Intra-religion violence may help finding the solution

* The World is not winning its battle against ISIS terrorism and fundamentalism. The silver lining is that the intra-religion violence will force the Muslim clerics of all sects/sub-sects, to sit down together, and modernise the Islam religion. They should update Qur'an, which is unlikely, as God's word b; or they may approve, ignoring the controversial verses of Qur'an..

* This problem is bigger than any other problem being faced by humanity, as on date. It needs more attention, as the future of humanity is at stake.

Commemorative Plaques - Creating a Suitable Tribute

When it comes to preserving the legacy of an individual, their actions or a special historical event, commemorative plaques are one of the most distinguished ways in which to remember. Their classic, robust appearance have a timeless quality and their durability means that years later, future generations can still appreciate them and what they symbolise.

What's more, even after years of wear and tear against the natural elements, most commemorative plaques can be professionally restored to their original state, giving them a whole new lease of life. This lifespan make them the perfect choice for commemorating those special individuals or events that are symbolic of a certain place, such as beloved public figures, sporting heroes or moments of historical change. They can also be used to pay tribute to tragic events or loss of life.

In order to do these events or figures justice, it is important you select the perfect plaque. To many, the message is the most important aspect of such a tribute, so the size and shape of the plaque should ideally follow suit. For example, if you have multiple lines of extended text then some plaque shapes might not be appropriate. Diamond or oval shapes only have room for extended words in the middle, whereas larger square or rectangular plaques can fit more across multiple lines. On the other hand, your text may be short and simple, perhaps a name and date - for something like this a longer oblong shape would highlight the message suitably. As well as the wording dictating the look of the plaque, equal consideration should also be given to the location of it. On what kind of building or in what kind of space will such a commemorative plaque be found? It needs to be visible by passers-by, so if it is either high above the ground or partitioned away from public reach then the plaque and its text need to be large enough to remain legible from a distance.

As well as size and shape you will also have to look at quality. Taking the time to look around is always a good idea rather than going with the nearest or cheapest manufacturer. Especially with personalised plaques, you should look for a respected company with many years' experience. As plaque manufacturing is such a traditional craft, many of them have a rich history and their years of fine plaque making will no doubt be evident in their store or showroom. Seeing first-hand the quality of their craftsmanship is always a good idea but in the event of the company not having a physical store, asking for personal recommendations or contacting previous customers is a reliable way to gather information. (There are still many well-regarded plaque makers online) It is also wise to browse their other services, this will not only give you a further indication of their standard in general but they may also offer restoration further down the line.

So, as we have stated, when paying tribute to such memorable things you will always want to go that extra mile for good quality. You want a result that will stand the test of time and act as a continuing reminder to those who not only remember the person or event in question but for all of those who will come after. With that in mind, commemorative plaques are the most respectable choice and a guarantee of durability and quality.

Requiring Maturity For Big Rig Operators

A couple of summers ago, I had a dangerous run-in with a truck driver who should not have been behind the wheel of a big rig.

It happened when I was driving back to New York on Interstate 91, not far south of White River Junction, Vermont. I was in the passing lane, going past several cars that were traveling near the 65 miles per hour speed limit. I was probably doing between 70 and 75 mph myself, when the grill of an 18-wheeler took up my entire review mirror. The truck was about a foot off my rear bumper, where it stayed for several minutes as I passed the other vehicles.

I pulled into the right lane to let him go by once I was able, at which point the driver sent me a clear message by coming back into my lane when there was still about 20 feet of trailer yet to pass me. My choices were to pull onto the shoulder or let him knock me off the road. Luckily, I saw what was happening in time and safely moved over. I then exchanged looks with my wife, who, like me, could conceivably have been killed if I hadn't been paying enough attention.

We decided not to let the matter drop. I followed the truck driver - closely, but not too close - while calling out identifying characteristics to my wife, who contacted the state highway authorities. Over the course of the next 50 miles or so, the driver did his or her best to lose me. First the truck sped up to close to 85 mph, during which time I dropped back but kept it in sight. Then it slowed to about 30 to try to induce me to go past. I didn't.

My reward came around the time we went through Brattleboro. There, as we emerged from a construction zone (at which point the driver was behaving virtuously), a Vermont patrol vehicle was waiting in the median. As soon as the obnoxious semitrailer driver went past, the patrol car pulled out, turned on its flashers and pulled the 18-wheeler over for a roadside inspection.

I don't know what happened after that. I assume the driver received no sort of citation for his treatment of me, since the officer would not have seen the incident firsthand. But if the driver's logbook and other credentials were not in perfect order, I expect he or she did not have a very good afternoon.

An underage driver? I have no reason to think so. But one acting without the maturity and judgment necessary to be entrusted with a 40-ton machine? Absolutely.

Maturity doesn't always come with time, but it always takes time. Proponents of a congressional proposal to allow teenage truck drivers to operate across state lines within certain limits put a lot of people in peril when they lose sight of this.

The proposal in question is part of general highway legislation currently before the Senate, introduced by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. If adopted, the legislation would amend a federal law that currently prohibits drivers under 21 from operating large trucks between states, even if state laws permit the teens to drive them. According to Bloomberg, 48 states currently allow younger drivers (between 18 and 21) to hold commercial licenses for intrastate commerce. (1) And as older drivers retire, industry researchers warn of a worsening driver shortage, which allowing younger drivers to operate across state lines might help address.

The new system would introduce a graduated licensing program for commercial drivers. The American Trucking Associations has thrown its support behind this idea. "Graduated licensing is proven and effective for reducing the risk of young drivers of passenger vehicles -millions of drivers have gotten their licenses this way - and it has been a top policy priority for many organizations, including some that are attacking Senator Fischer's proposal now," ATA's executive vice president, Dave Osiecki, said in a statement. (2)

Those attacks mainly focus on safety concerns. Jackie Gillan, the president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, has argued that statistics indicate young truck drivers are four to six times more likely than drivers over 21 to be involved in fatal crashes. Gillan argued that, instead of introducing graduated licensing, the Senate should consider cracking down on laws permitting drivers between 18 and 21 to operate large trucks within a state. (1)

We need good truck drivers, and a lot of teens need good jobs. Of this, I have no doubt. Allowing teenagers to drive trucks, however, does put a lot of people at risk, starting with the teenagers themselves. Anybody who lives in the Rocky Mountain West can tell you how easy it is for a semitrailer to jackknife across an interstate during a blizzard. And anybody who has seen it can tell you just how frightening it is.

Whether this proposal is the right path will depend on exactly what the proposed graduated licenses look like. Many states allow for graduated licensing for teens getting their first standard driver's license, moving from a permit (where the driver must be supervised at all times) to a provisional license, where a driver can operate alone only in certain conditions, such as during daylight hours or when driving directly to and from a job. The exact provisions vary between states, but they provide a useful guide for considering how a graduated commercial licensing program might work.

Let 18-year-olds drive big trucks, but let them do so only under the immediate personal supervision of a second, experienced driver. Maybe require that older drivers have a certification, or an endorsement of their safety record, to demonstrate the maturity necessary to supervise a younger operator this way. At first, maybe only allow such driving at certain hours of the day, or forbid it in weather conditions that would require the truck's lights or wipers.

Can a properly trained 18-year-old safely operate an 18-wheeler in broad daylight on a wide-open freeway in South Dakota? Sure. There is a lot to be said for providing that experience and bolstering the national truck fleet in the bargain.

But we don't need more immature truck drivers on our highways. It only takes one fit of pique or one lapse in attention to put lives at risk.

The Free Public Library!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The public library is free, and believe it or not, it's not even guarded! That's right ladies and gentlemen of all ages and all shapes and sizes! You can just walk right into that incredibly valuable building and just take whatever priceless knowledge you want without even paying for it! Yup! You can just take it! You don't even have to wait for the drawbridge to drop to storm this castle! Just rush inside like a knight in shining armor and take whatever books and whatever knowledge that you want!

It's so amazing that I'm going to have to say it again! The public library is free, and it will give you an incredibly valuable education, as well as anything else your little heart may desire. You can actually walk in there and spend as much time as you want, and then walk out as a higher quality person. Can you believe that?

I feel so lucky to have known about our free public library system for the last twenty-five-years. And during that time I have never stopped sipping from the fountain of knowledge and potential power that has been made so easily available to all of us. And come to think of it now, I can't see myself ever stopping the winning habit of sucking up everything I can from this country's library system.

Hmm... Imagine another twenty-five-years of this country's public library system feeding my brain and quenching my thirst for knowledge and potential power. Wow! Now I'm imagining fifty more years of feeding my brain and quenching my thirst... It's mind-boggling, wouldn't you agree? Nothing is impossible with sustained effort over time in a library.

How could any one of us not take advantage of how easy the public library system has made it to be a lifelong learner? Just look at all that information floating in the middle of all of those neatly stacked aisles of books!

Now teens and even tweens, go learn, lead, and lay the way to a better world for all of us. Remember, the public library is free and it will give you an incredibly valuable education. But this will only happen if you stop sitting on your hands and get up and get your feet moving toward your public library; and don't forget your library card! And once again, thanks for all that you do, and all that you will do...

Award-Winning Author, Speaker, Educator, and Life Coach Daniel Blanchard wants you to start spending more time in the free public library. It's guaranteed to make you a better person.