Is bribery sometimes OK? How people answered across the Americas

"Is it OK sometimes to use bribes, "given the way things are" in countries that may be grappling with corruption, crime and poverty?

People in Guyana and Haiti were roughly four times as likely to say yes as people in Brazil, Chile or Guatemala, according to a recently released survey of attitudes across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Vanderbilt University study found big differences in how bribery is viewed in different countries, based on a 2010 survey of nearly 41,000 people in 24 countries.

Researchers didn’t draw conclusions about why people in some countries were more likely to say bribery was justified. They did, however, find other factors that helped explain how people viewed bribery. People were more likely to believe that bribery was sometimes justifiable if they also believed that:

-- the national economy had taken a turn for the worse in the past year

-- crime was a threat to their future

-- corruption is rampant among government officials
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/bribery-americas.html

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I halfta Bribe the Wife to Feed Me just about every day...

So how is this any different? Nutt'n Fer Nutt'n ya know...

The system here is very strict, i.e. you can pay into your retirement fund as a worker for 30 years but when you go to collect you find that one letter or space was different from your birth certificate and pay stub so you don't get your pension UNLESS you do a court action or something like that although with a "tip" that can be avoided. Those who don't tip waiters might want to rethink the value of avoiding months to years in court.

Interestingly, this headline out of Brazil which enjoys one of the lowest rates of bribery:

Police strike in Rio, bringing fears for Carnival
Cops, firefighters, prison guards walk out over pay despite decision to give them a 39 percent raise

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46339158/ns/world_news-americas/#.TzUeTWVdmqE

waiters work for tips. this is almost everywhere. the hourly wage is almost nothing. i tip about 20% here.

I didn't understand your comment about waiters, Spencer. The subject here is governmental corruption and bribery.

As Susan points out, waiters earn their living from tips.

BTW CG, this was a very interesting find, glad you posted it. A few surprises there, notably Brazil.

And government workers don't earn the vast part of their earning from "tips", oops I let the cat out of the bag!!!???

Well some do, that was my point.

Mainecoons wrote:BTW CG, this was a very interesting find, glad you posted it. A few surprises there, notably Brazil.

The Brazil thing is total bullshit. Same as the crooked local cops in Dawg´s native Alabama publishing statistics about eradication of illegal stills out in the piney woods. Whatever makes the hypocites feel more secure. Dawg recommends as one reference source the DVD of the movie City Of God and the special feature on the DVD of the interview with the ex-chief of police of Rio De Janiero who speaks of the corruption of that society from the wealthiest at the top to the poorest in the favelas with the cops and civic authorities in the middle. What a joke.

susan wrote:waiters work for tips. this is almost everywhere. the hourly wage is almost nothing. i tip about 20% here.

Ditto, same reason. We ask and they talk, most people in general don't lie. Call me a fool, whatever, it's my choice.