Combatting corruption
By: Tyler John
Tags: Middle East, Oil, Corruption

Corruption is one of the most prevalent forms of crime prevalent in our world today. The wealthy and powerful usually engage in illegal and unethical means of benefitting while eroding moral values such as honesty and integrity at the cost of human rights.

Image 1: Money

The new US government decided to reimpose sanctions on wealthy businessman Dan Gertler after he was accused of corruption over mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gertler had used his influence within the Trump administration to have the sanctions he faced, eased. However, this was met with major criticism from human rights advocates and members of congress who lamented the fact that Mr. Gertler had secured access to the mining rights in the Republic of Congo for years by way of a bevy of corrupt deals. These deals robbed the Congo f Billions of dollars. Upon the culmination n of Mr. Trump's tenure in office, he granted Gertler a license that would unfreeze monies he had saved in the US banking system and ceased the sanctions stopping Gertler from conducting business in the international banking system. These sanctions had been in effect since 2017. In a statement made by the State Department, it was reiterated that the US is fully intent on upholding its commitment to hold corrupt perpetrators accountable for their actions. The article went on to articulate the matter from Mr. Gertler’s vantage point. His lawyer expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, citing that Mr. Gertler was not given adequate opportunity to prove his compliance with all rules and regulations. Gertler had hired his Lawyer Alan Dershowitz in 2017 who also represented Mr. Trump. Through this relationship, he was successful in lobbying for the relaxation of the sanctions even in the wake of opposition.

The United States stands firm to its political and ethical standards. Human Rights is a key issue to the US government and more so to the Biden administration. The powers that be are of the mindset that Mr. Gertler’s successes were due in a large part to unethical means of business. These methods robbed states of funds and resources as they were not commensurately compensated for such. Consequently, they see it necessary to keep Mr. Gertler under what is essentially punishment. For his action. This would serve. To not only prevent Dan from participating in such unconventional activities but to deter others. From doing the same.

I agree that corruption must be frowned upon and discouraged at all costs. However, I am not a fan of what is known and the “canceling culture mentality”. Yes, it is overwhelmingly true that Mr. Gertler was wrong to commit these heinous acts, but just as they advocate for human rights, I believe that all humans are entitled to the right of a second chance. If everyone is to essentially be canceled for their wrongdoings we will never progress as a society. It seems as though the punishment applied to Mr. Gertler is proportionate to the money involved in corruption and this wealth rather than the remedial process of the problem. However, the authorities are in a much better position to analyze and determine the adequate sanctions and length of such which much be applied to Mr. Gertler’s operations.

Biliography

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/21/us/politics/dan-gertler-sanctions.html