In an odd way, low-level corruption is the canary in the coal mine of democracy.

I don't get it. But then again I live in Connecticut. If you pieced together all the film clips of our perp-walking public officials...you'd have a long ass tape.

In the words of the great Homer Simpson:

"Alchohol, the cause of and solution to, all of lifes problems".

How long before an episode of Cops takes place in Baghdad?

Actually, change that to 'low level corruption is directly proportional to how many Italians live in your state,' and you'd have a point.

lauraw,

I found your gratuitous swipe at Italian-Americans offensive.

Care to apologize over drinks sometime?

No.

But I retain the right to make disparaging remarks about all ethnic groups within my own heritage.

Cedarford is wrong. It isn't the Jews, or the Chinese. Its the Italians, and its TOO LATE!!!
We've gotcha.

Mwaa ha haaa

lauraw

No less a luminary than Camille Paglia invites your Italian heritage to drinks and you refuse? But, now that I think about it, I have some iti in the line too, that's the part we don't talk about.

The Micks don't have a very glorius past either ... another line I don't claim.

I am so glad I don't drink anymore, I don't miss it a bit - not ever!

Only on my mothers side.
Grandfather was a mason named Vincenzo.
All masons are named Vincenzo. Its the law.

Yeah, let the Moslems act like idiots (more than they do now), get into fights, kill each other, total cars, sleep with any mammal they can, puke on each other, wake up with strangers and of course, wake up with Whopping, Killer-Hangovers that last three for days. Fun, fun, fun!

You know of course that the city of Baghdad would never dream of banning smoking in bars.

I thought the founding fathers were all Masons. Just watched National Treasure you know . . . What's that? Oops--never mind.

-but enough about your mother, shinola.

The booze is a great start, but if they'd start looking the other way about 420 like we do, they'd really lighten up as a society.

I wonder how much of this newfound freedom was a result of American soldiers asking "where can I get a good beer around here?"

I disagree with Ace about corruption. In my experience, the more low-level corruption there is, the more high-level corruption there will be, too.

No kidding slublog, I bet the craving for an ice-cold beer is quite intense after a few 120-degree days.

"Alcohol doesn't solve all of life's problems, of course. No more than, I'd say, 80-90%"

Dude, you've got C4 for the rest. There is no problem that cannot be solved by the judicious application of alcohol or high explosives.

lauraw -but enough about your mother, shinola.

Yeah, she's the Italian side.

SJKevin

I disagree with Ace about corruption. In my experience, the more low-level corruption there is, the more high-level corruption there will be, too.

In an odd way, low-level corruption is the canary in the coal mine of democracy. If the state is so omnipresent and powerful as to root out low-level corruption... well, in all likelihood, the state itself is engaging is very high-level megacorruption and kleptocracy.

Think you're right. Just ACE's Libertarian streak. Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union show just how wrong this Liberal stereotype is.

It's a throw-away observation, but I base it on America.

We're obviously the greatest and freest and most stable democracy the world has ever known (well, maybe the British can give us a run for our money; not sure), and yet low-level corruption re: liquor licenses and restaurant inspectors and construction inspectors is still pretty damn common, isn't it?

I'm not saying corruption is good, obviously. But I wonder how tightly the state would have to watch each of us to insure that Inspector X wasn't taking a quick bribe from Bar Y.

Yeah, but our corruption is nowhere near what it is in other countries, especially totalitarian countries, like say Moslem countries. I'd argue the reverse: comparitively speaking, the more authoritarin the government the more the corruption and the less the freedom because of the corruption.

heehee - I was the one who emailed the story to Instapundit. No BS'ing either.

Lauraa W willl settle for a Big Whopper