It was no secret that the Kakas enriched themselves at the expense of the country and its citizens. Did the people of Argentina subsequently become more apt to break or scuttle around the laws? We first arrived in Argentina during Nestor Kirchner’s administration, and were perhaps too blinded by love of the country or sheer naïveté to notice large-scale scofflaws. But as early as Cristina’s first term, with her greed and graft in full view, we started to become more aware of a culture of the general public’s ignoring both laws and wrongdoing by public officials. Related?
NYT today:
“The demands of avarice gradually corrupt the work of government as officials facilitate the accumulation of personal wealth. Worse, such a government corrupts the people who live under its rule. They learn by experience that they live in a society where the laws are written by the highest bidder. They become less likely to obey those laws, and to participate in the work of democracy — speaking, voting, paying taxes. The United States risks falling into this cynical spiral as Mr. Trump hollows out the institutions of government for personal gain.”
