Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Common Corruption, Japanese-style Disclosure

Corruption is all too common almost everywhere.

Japan has special patterns of criminal disclosure. When one or two corrupt practices are uncovered, a cascade of reports can ensue. Leaders bow & apologize en masse, hoping personal fallout is minimized when everyone's dirty together.

A good example a few years ago (early Nov. 2013, link), was when top restaurants in Ginza, Hibiya, central Tokyo and around Japan began to admit they served poor-quality and substitute ingredients rather than the excellent foods advertised. Dozens of 'great' restaurants suddenly admitted wrongdoing. Shameless? Smart? The public ate it up.

Now Finance Ministry corruption (link, Moritomo scandal) dovetails with Defense Ministry wrongdoing (link), hiding the logs of Japanese troop deployment in Iraq. Public interest is forgotten - bureaucrats deceive lawmakers charged with administrative oversight, under the direction of ... unknown individuals

So very coincidental the reports are released on the same day... ?  Not.

Truth & demonstrative sorrow are both missing...