| "Hah!" blurted the young police officer, "No one is | | | | 7.7 - United Kingdom - 62 million fairly honest souls |
| honest!" | | | | 7.5 - United States - 309.3 million fairly honest |
| This was the automatic and Freudian slippish reply | | | | souls |
| to a question I had just posed to a Brandon City | | | | 7.4 - Barbados - 290,000 fairly honest souls |
| Police officer regarding his perception of the | | | | *** And almost tied for last place are: *** |
| average person's level of integrity. | | | | 1.3 - Afghanistan - 28.1 million unfortunate souls |
| And while I found his audacious and unabashedly | | | | 1.1 - Somalia - 9.1 million unfortunate souls - |
| negative world view a little disconcerting, I initially | | | | ranked last out of 180 countries |
| chalked it up to the opinion of a cynical lawman | | | | Source: Transparency International Corruption |
| who had wrestled reality out of one too many | | | | Perception 2009 |
| bandits. | | | | Where is your country on this list? Does the |
| However, after a bit of thinking on the matter, it | | | | order surprise you? |
| struck me that Sheriff Six Shooter would be | | | | It intrigues me where my home country of |
| rubbing shoulders not only with representatives | | | | Canada is listed and not because we made the |
| from The Underworld but also with professionals | | | | ninth spot. What I find interesting is that if Canada |
| in the legal system, prison system, health care | | | | is near the top of the heap and we suffer as |
| system and our political system, just to name a | | | | much corruption as we do, exactly how honest is |
| few. | | | | the world, anyhow? |
| Surely Wyatt Earp didn't think they were ALL | | | | Canadian Corruption Capers |
| corrupt, did he? | | | | Malfeasance reaches the highest levels of |
| Now I Am The Lone Ranger, You Be Tonto | | | | Canadian society and recently we have witnessed: |
| One heroic organization attempting to measure | | | | Corrupt Prime Ministers - Two of Canada's |
| what my peace officer friend claimed to know is | | | | surviving past prime ministers are currently under |
| Transparency International and for the past ten | | | | investigation for wrongdoings (Brian Mulroney - |
| years these folks have published an annual report | | | | AirBus Affair and Jean Cretien - Shawinigate |
| which provides an international corruption index | | | | Affair ) |
| perspective for most countries around the globe. | | | | Corrupt Politicians - Corruption in government |
| In their most recent publication from 2009, they | | | | touches all provinces of Canada |
| rate 180 countries in order of perception of | | | | Corrupt Royal Canadian Mounted Police - There |
| corruption and I am listing the top 20 here. I had | | | | was no organization called RCMP Watch ten years |
| to list the top 20 in order to be able to include | | | | ago but now they have plenty to write about. |
| United States - a fact I find interesting in itself. | | | | Once revered around the world, our proud police |
| Okay, the Most Honest Countries in the world | | | | force has been decimated by corruption from the |
| awards goes to: (drum roll please) | | | | top down. |
| Corruption Perception Rank - Country - Number | | | | Corrupt Religions - The Catholic Church acts no |
| of Citizens | | | | different in Canada than anywhere else. |
| 9.4 - New Zealand - 4.2 million too honest souls | | | | And this is just a short list of the more than 5 |
| 9.3 - Denmark - 5.4 million too honest souls | | | | million entries that pop up on a Google search for |
| 9.2 - Singapore - 5 million too honest souls | | | | corrupt Canada! |
| 9.2 - Sweden - 9.3 million too honest souls | | | | Monkey See, Monkey Do |
| 9.0 - Switzerland - 7.8 million too honest souls | | | | Corruption has been around a long time and we |
| ********* | | | | may be certain that its not going anywhere |
| 8.9 - Finland - 5.4 million really honest souls | | | | anytime soon so I have developed a belief that |
| 8.9 - Netherlands - 16.6 million really honest souls | | | | the best thing a person can do is prepare for it. |
| 8.7 - Australia - 22.4 million really honest souls | | | | Exploitation ebbs and flows, like water with tides |
| 8.7 - Canada - 34 million really honest souls | | | | or temperature through seasons and like an |
| 8.7 - Iceland - 300,000 really honest souls | | | | ocean reclaiming its beach or fall ice thinly forming |
| 8.6 - Norway - 4.9 million really honest souls | | | | on a pond, we must constantly gauge our local |
| 8.2 - Hong Kong - 7 million really honest souls | | | | environment to avoid unnecessary aggravation |
| 8.2 - Luxembourg - 500,000 really honest souls | | | | from being improperly prepared for the location |
| 8.0 - Germany - 81.7 million really honest souls | | | | or season. This way fewer folks get drowned or |
| ******** | | | | die by freezing. |
| 7.9 - Ireland - 6.2 million fairly honest souls | | | | You can trust me on this, mister police officer... |
| 7.9 - Austria - 8.4 million fairly honest souls | | | | Thank you, friend. |
| 7.7 - Japan - 127.4 million fairly honest souls | | | | |