By Joseph J. Honick
Few would argue both the logic and the correctness of doing everything necessary to eliminate bribery in the award of government contracts. And it is commendable that India has embarked in recent months to take such steps.
But the announcement that the nation has taken steps against arms and other contractors from Israel, Singapore, Russia and China for alleged bribery of Defense officials carries a ring of modest humor since the actions uncovered past event when the actions were hardly unusual. The media announced events were much like the old tale of the woman who tried to prove she had recaptured her virginity.
True to their usual smear tactics, the virulent anti-Israel propaganda media proliferating the internet were not only quick to assert the charges against the Israeli munitions industry were just the usual of a corrupt country, these same garbage broadcasters mostly forgot the other nations targeted by the newly purified Indian defense operation.
The efforts undertaken in this particular situation were reflective of India's well known governmental predilection for some "fiscal palm greasing" and the recent outcry from many quarters to put a stop to it. No doubt most arms and other contractors would prefer at least the appearance of a level field of competition, but they have known their human targets and what it took to do business in that lovely country.
What not even the Indian purity seekers even suggested was the quality of such products and systems was undesirable.
But if corruption is worth noting at any time, so is hypocrisy as with the case of the virulent anti-Israel media thst includes among its propaganda cartoons of the American symbol Uncle Sam pointing to the reader, with a caption asserting "I am Israel's Bitch!". Worse is the reality such trash is reprinted or otherwise picked up by domestic media claiming to be "liberal and progressive." offering the question at least as to where those propaganda media draw their own bribes.
Editor's Note: Here's a link to a Pakistani news source about the corruption scandal:http://paktribune.com/articles/French-Scandal-Exposes-Global-Corruption-242845.h
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Joseph J. Honick is an international consultant to business and government and writes for many publications. Honick can be reached at joehonick@gmail.com.