One million marks of that was handed over in cash stashed in a suitcase to the Christian Democrats' treasurer in a parking lot in Switzerland. To do business in social market Germany, middlemen like Schreiber have learnt, one must pay off the right people with appropriate sums at the right time. And businesses, in turn, have to figure the ever higher costs of graft into their profit calculations. And now look at China. Reportedly, the price of gasoline has increased by 20 percent since the illegal import of oil ceased.
Corruption is deplorable.
But as importantly, corruption is a heavy tax on business conduct that should be removed forthwith. Punishing the culprits is necessary. Changing the system that breeds corruption and having the government and political parties get out of businesses' ways, however, is the only cure.