[ExI] Health system, again

[Samantha Atkins]

Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
> On 12/04/2008, Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> There is utterly no guarantee that the same would hold for
>>  a far larger, much more diverse society with entirely different
>>  government traditions. Cronyism and corruption have a much
>>  longer history in the U.S. than in Australia if for no other
>>  reason the U.S. has a much longer history.
>>     
>
> Have a look at this article:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
>
> The index rates corruption among public officials and politicians. A
> quick look at the list suggests that corruption varies inversely as
> per capita wealth. There doesn't seem to be much correlation with how
> "socialistic" a country is. I expect that a ranking of corruption in
> private enterprise would come out very similar.
>
>
>   

I have a suspicion that the index varies inversely with the percentage 
of a country's wealth that is owned or controlled by the government and 
how much government permission and favor must be sought.   If there is 
nothing much in government hands to buy, bribe, enter into conspiracy 
with government officials then corruption should drop rapidly.   
Governments put the Mafia to shame and are often more ill-tempered.

- samantha