The Columbian Rescue Beyond Corruption

I really did not see it coming. It was so integral to Latin American Culture that one could expect nothing to be done that was at all vulnerable to corruption, disloyalty or betrayal. One could expect one set of soldiers or policemen to be taking money to give away secret plans; expect another set to give up secrets because they have friends and family among the enemies and criminals; and a third set who gives up their trust because they fear reprisal and are under the compulsion of threats. I had thought that American dollars provided to Latin American regimes was largely poured down the drain… again, into the pockets of the Corrupt.

Then came word that a complex long term operation had been pulled off apparently without a hitch. It was a project that could have been completely spoiled had the least hint gotten out. Indeed, there had been some betrayals, but it was from the Revolutionary FARC side of it. Again, let me emphasize that where Religious Morality is shunned, there remains no Morality. While people in neutral situations still may know the difference between Right and Wrong, whenever tensions and pressures are ratcheted up people do what is personally convenient. Without God watching, NOBODY is watching and people, while comforting themselves that they still KNOW the difference between right and wrong, will do what makes their life easier and more convenient. Who would know? In the case of Columbia, this time, The Revolutionary FARC proved vulnerable to Modern Amoral Materialistic Pressures. But the Government Side had somehow rallied.

It would be interesting to know how they, the Columbians, did it. How were so many operatives kept so uncharacteristically honest? I don’t think that it is a new Cultural Milieu… there are still so many signs of Corruption elsewhere – the Anti-Drug De-Forestation Flights that cost Americans billions of dollars to Fund, largely target swaths of neutral forest as there is simply too much money floating around to persuade the Targeting Offices and the Flight Crews not to drop their loads on perfectly good coca plants. Satellite data coming in shows that there is MORE acreage being planted with drug crops than ever before – upwards of 20% more. No, Corruption is still a major cultural contributor in the social and political and economic dynamics of Latin America.

But in that one particular Police/Military Operation they managed to keep Corruption completely frozen out. All of Latin America needs to go to School on how this was accomplished. Perhaps Anglo Protestant America also. With all the Crime in Latin America being denominated in American Dollars, one can’t help but to think that there may be some little bit of American Police Corruption contributing to the collective trouble. In fact I wonder of cases where Hispanic Personnel have taken on key responsibilities in America. If this same cultural mix on the Other Side of the Border is so prone to Corruption, then what is it on the American Side of the Line that is supposed to keep these people Honest? If it is NOT a concern, then that makes us all wonder whether the Broader Law Enforcement Culture simply does not look at Corruption as a problem, but more like a fringe benefit available to everybody who gets a Badge and a Free Mason Pin. Maybe the ONLY people who are being arrested are the one’s that have not been making their pay offs, or they are busting only new criminal operations popping up as competition to the Old Established Criminal Operations that have their Partners in Law Enforcement. After all, one NEVER sees these Criminals being interviewed on TV or in the Newspapers. If the Criminals have any pertinent observations concerning the honesty of American Law Enforcement Institutions, its all being successfully muffled. America enjoys Freedom of the Press, but it maybe very coincidental that the American Press only shows one Viewpoint, and that Viewpoint is from the vantage point of the Institutionalized Powers. Cops are interviewed on TV. Soldiers are interviewed. Criminals and ‘Terrorists’ are never within a mile of a microphone. As a matter of fact, even when we are told that certain very famous Terrorists have released statement, we are not given the text, but must trust our Freedom Loving Reporters when they assure us it was all just mad ranting and gibberish. Oh, and prior to the run-up to the Iraq Invasion we were not given more than 5 words in a row of anything a Certain Iraqi Dictator had been saying in his own defense. Oh, and now, even with Iranians Politicians traveling in the West, we are not given transcripts of any speeches, but are only given certain old clips of snippets of ‘crazy talk’ and our Freedom Loving Reporters assure us that everything these Enemy Politicians have to say is mad ranting and gibberish. We are all Free to know that nothing our Enemies have to say is worth hearing. Anyway, the applicable point here is that our Freedom Loving Press may be isolating us from any view of Bad News or any Perspective that may show that Corruption is not a uniquely Latin Problem.

Then, considering the Structures of Morality, it would be difficult to conclude that America would not have a BIG problem with Corruption. After all, Protestant Culture freely disseminates the viewpoint that All Sins are Forgiven. If all Sins are Forgiven, how does this not make Corruption a huge Opportunity? Corruption can make one rich, AND it’s forgiven! Then why not? Then, if one thinks one is an Elect of God (that is, if one is a Presbyterian) then one would see it as almost an Entitlement – the Poor are damned as everybody knows (well, every Presbyterian knows). If one is Saved then one needs to demonstrate that Status of Election with a Certain Standard of Living. God’s Rewards to his Elect on Earth are not subtle. And one must remember that people really believe this stuff – that unless they reach a certain level of Conspicuous Consumption then their Eternal Salvation may be seriously in doubt. To these Mainstream Presbyterians, Corruption may be their only perceived Avenue toward Religious Salvation. Now, opposed to these almost Moral Incentives to participate in Corruption, what is there that is supposed to keep people honest. There is the Fear of getting Caught, but this may be within a Community that has all tacitly agreed among each other to ‘look the other way’. Cops are like school children in their insistence on not tattling on each other.

Anyway… back to Columbia – yes, even after the most cynical reflections, there remains this Most Important Surprise that the Columbians did manage a huge complex long drawn out operation without the slightest bit of Corruption. They deserve the greatest and clearest and most unqualified Congratulations. Indeed, the rest of us should be a bit worried. With such brilliant and powerful Integrity, who could possibly stop such a Team? Remember what Joseph Stalin once said, “With ten completely loyal men I could conquer the World”.

Well, it looks like Columbia has found its “10 Loyal Men”. The Rest of the World needs to stand back and see what they can do next.