Money, Money, Money!

By Robin Rhee

Corruption appears to be alive and well in both the United States and Korea. Sadly, it resembles the Greek mythological monster Hydra, slain by Hercules; if one head is cut off, it is replaced by two more.

Corruption isn't limited to those who wield power, but such cases make the headlines.

In fact, corruption seems to permeate societies, hence the rich vocabulary which has evolved to describe the various heinous deeds. Embezzlement, bribery, kickbacks, larceny, fraud, forgery, scams, slush funds and influence peddling are just a few.

In the United States, two of President Barack Obama's top cabinet nominees withdrew their candidacy due to unpaid back taxes. In Korea, the head honcho of the National Tax Office was forced to resign.

Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, which is thought to be the biggest scam ever in the U.S., bilked hundreds of people of their life savings. Even some institutions handed over their endowments to be invested by him. Currently, he is under house arrest in his posh digs while the total extent of the scam is being sorted out.

There is speculation that investors may recoup only a small percentage of each dollar of their original investment. It was a pyramid scheme from the very beginning and should have been recognized as ``too good to be true." After all, he charged no fees for his investment ``expertise," which should have been a red flag.

Stocks market manipulation and insider trading are often under investigation, too.

Then there is the ex-governor of Illinois, who is alleged to have tried to sell his Senate seat, which became vacant when Obama was elected President, to the highest bidder. He was impeached yet continues to appear on various talk shows to claim his innocence. He unabashedly compares himself to some of the U.S.'s most famous and honest people.

Korea continues to chase slush funds, allegedly amassed by the rich and famous. Land speculation is always a hot topic and after every national election, investigations commence to ferret out illegal contributions accepted and hidden away by national assemblymen. Furthermore, it's often said that every major construction project sets aside a percentage of the total cost for bribes.

Few can forget the apple boxes of money that were moved around the country.

Where does it all end? Apparently, it doesn't. Power and greed are thought to go hand in hand.

Those who are caught may be reviled and punished, while others will rise up to hatch illegal plots for which they believe they will never be charged.

Roberto da Matta once wrote, ``Corruption is never an individual act. It always involves groups of people bound by one fundamental exchange of favors. This collective corruption is founded on traditional morality, well established friendships and the opportunity at hand."

The writer is a former weekly columnist for The Korea Times and currently resides in Centerville, Ohio. She can be reached at RRKORAM@aol.com