Mobutu Sese Seko Quotes
Who taught us corruption? I believe it was you, frankly... It's an import.
Corruption was rife in the Congo before the French or Belgians ever arrived there. However, it is the case that French business and diplomatic culture is much more tolerant of third world corruption than most other industrial democracies and actively engage in bribery efforts to a degree that other nations do not.
Joseph Desire Mobutu, 1930-1997, Mobutu Sese Seko, President of the Congo, Statement to a French Reporter, Mobutu: King of Zaire
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
This is a common rejoinder of third world country leaders to accusations of Western democracies about corruption. And doubtless it is true. However temptation has never been a good defense of improper behavior.
Franklin was the superstar of his day in terms of popularity—especially in Europe. However, his informal, social style together with his late hours and popularity with the ladies, together with the fact that he seemed on good social terms with even enemies developed a combination of jealousy, frustration and even suspicion by some of his diplomatic colleagues.
At the turn of the century, there was a moral norm in much of the country that buying and stealing votes in elections were not moral transgressions and was acceptable in the heat of political contests.
Commenting on an FBI sting operation to uncover government corruption:
The House Majority Leader Tom Delay, with a history of ethics violations, got caught in some very serious ones and convinced the House majority leadership to change the rules of the Ethics Committee to prevent the minority from initiating any investigations or inquiries. The Ethics Committee was the only House committee that has an equal number of majority and minority members and before this change, either side would initiate an inquiry.
When Britain and America invaded Iraq and toppled the Saddam government, massive looting broke out. Britain and America were criticized by some for not protecting museums, government buildings and other targets of the looters, blaming the coalition for not maintaining law and order. Kilroy-Silk and others disagreed and blamed the looters primarily.
When his wife Benizir Bhutto was prime minister, there was a perception of many Pakistanis that he was getting 10% graft on all government construction, development and purchases. After his wife was assassinated, he was elected Prime Minister, and the notorious nickname stuck even then.
Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga (/məbuːˈtuː ˈsɛseɪ ˈsɛkoʊ/; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), commonly known as Mobutu Sese Seko or simply just Mobutu, was a Congolese politician and military officer who was the president of Zaire from 1965 to 1997 (known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 1971).
