Is there an inverse correlation between success and corruption ?

Question

In other words: more success is associated with less corruption and less success with more corruption.See the corruption perception index below, the most successful countries have the least corruption and vice versa.

Yes, yes, I know we all have corruption but the amount varies considerably

Answer 1

I think not as it cannot be proved to on a global or wide scale so as generalize about it but here is a thought:

If you are successful and win $30million in a national lottery are you then corrupt?

Answer 2

On a national scale I totally believe it.  Look at the Central American countries and African nations where corruption is rampant.  On an individual level I think it is possible to be very corrupt and very successful.  Witness the Clintons.

Answer 3

your right. greed is a major factor. if you want to figure out where the problems are, just trace the money trail.

Answer 4

Hmm. The only reason America is consiered relatively clean, is because the people fought for thier right in the multitude of strikes from the later 1800s and early 1900s. Abolation of slavery, child labar, low wages, 12-hour days. We fought for minimum wage, 8 hours days, benefits and so on. Oddly enough, most the entire world's countries are Capitalistic economical countries, and almost the entire world's countries are poor.

If the people in our past did not fight for labor laws and labor rights, we'd end up like most of the countries in the world. Working 12 hours days, at 50 cents an hour. Capitalistic countries are very successful - for the capitalists, for those with money, and they fight tooth and nail for every penny expropriated from the people.

I think capitalists corporations are just as corrupt in the United States as every other 'corrupt'-ly labeled country, but laws and the masses of labor the the US have them in a choke hold as far as exactly how much they can take, so they take all that they can, when they can, and where they can.

In the other countries, capitalist conglomerates have free reign over labor and resources, and make amazing sums of money in the process. Even with the process held in check in the United States, corporations still make obscene amounts of money. Corruption is everywhere, just is some places more then others is it allowed to rampage unchecked.