The Corruption Of Civil Society

By Patrick Barron, For The Bulletin

Recently, I wrote of the Jacksonian meaning of corruption and compared it to our modern definition.  Our modern definition, which equates corruption with criminal activity, fits our modern, shallow culture of voyeurism.  It seems we love nothing more than to see that the mighty have fallen prey to padding their expense accounts, taking specious tax deductions and even dipping their beaks into the public trough.  This is criminal behavior and there is no justification for it; it will be with us as long as people have access to other people’s money.  But this really isn’t a very strenuous definition of corruption.  Real corruption does its work in the full light of day, corrupting the morals to the point that society stagnates, shrinks and finally succumbs altogether.  This was the Jacksonian definition of corruption.

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