The State of S. Paulo - 15/11/2011

By Roberto Abdenur

The news comes day after day. He is a minister who falls after accusations of corruption in his portfolio. He is a deputy who accuses colleagues of selling amendments. He is a detainee who obtains perks in prison through facilities granted by a jailer. It is work completed based on forged authorization documents. It is a commercial establishment that obtains a permit through a bribe.

At this point, Brazilian citizens are wondering how a country can develop based on the widespread culture of transgressions. That's right, culture of transgressions - expression, which, in our view, clearly designates the set of ideas and attitudes that do not respect ethics, putting personal interest above collective interest and laws.

If we want to change this culture, we all need to understand that the only way to reach an economically and socially developed Brazil is to respect the laws, not corrupting or being corrupted, paying taxes and fighting piracy, counterfeiting and smuggling. To begin with, we need to require our leaders to always act within ethical standards. And - why not say? - the highest ethical standards. After all, corruption installed at the base of society is easier to fight than the corruption that permeates high spheres of power.

We have already gone through historical moments when it seemed that Brazilians were going to realize the widespread damage that corruption causes. We even approved the impeachment of a President of the Republic, in a wave of civism that seemed to be taking us to a new nation, of conscious and ethical citizens. But, almost 20 years after the impeachment, little has changed.

Historian José Murilo de Carvalho, professor of History of Brazil at UFRJ, distinguishes fear and respect for the law well. Only a society that respects its laws can rise to a high level of development. As long as the law is only enforced out of fear, without the values ​​that guided it being understood by the population, we will not be able to change the culture of leniency and even collusion with transgressions.

Studies and research show that tax evaders resort to the argument that it is useless to pay taxes if the authorities responsible for giving them the intended destination end up diverting them. In other words, if there is no confidence that the resources will be invested for the general good - in health, education, infrastructure, housing - why be an ethical citizen?

We always insist that one thing does not depend on the other. If we are to wait for the ideal model of ruler, we will build nothing. We must pay the taxes provided for by law and demand that they be applied where they should. And that is what we are doing now: we demand that Brazilian governments imbue themselves with their greater duty as citizens and set an example of good conduct for the entire population.

We have long said that the crisis in Brazil is not economic. It is social, there is no doubt. But more than anything, it is a moral crisis. We have reached a point where businessmen comment that the rules of the game are the same and that without “wetting the hand” of those who grant licenses and authorizations, nothing is achieved. As the private initiative ends up working together with the authorities of various levels, it is difficult to untie the knot of corruption.

This applies to negotiations between the powerful and the small. Large conglomerates of companies end up entangling themselves in dangerous connections with those who have the power to authorize works and undertakings, to grant licenses or authorizations. Likewise, and following the same rite, it takes place between a city inspector and a street vendor. It is not new that, in the streets of the center of large cities, a surveillance vehicle passes slowly, announcing itself ostensibly so that the street vendors have time to collect their irregular merchandise. It is the inspector pretending to supervise.

That is why not only politicians and administrators in general, as inspectors and managers of what should be the public thing, have been the target of complaints of corruption. The discussions reached the Judiciary, which, by definition, should be above and beyond any suspicion of irregularity or malpractice. The differences between the corregedora of the National Council of Justice, Minister Eliana Calmon, and some members of the Judiciary are unthinkable in any country that values ​​the immaculability of its judges.

With a GDP of R $ 3,6 trillion, Brazil should have decent health care, an exemplary public education, airports in line with the international events planned for the coming years, not to mention railways and highways - these show how partnerships can have good results, since the highways granted to the private sector are the best in the country.

Corruption should not be tolerated at any level. If it reaches dimensions as wide open as it is today in the country, it is impossible to remain silent. It is impossible to accept this pretending that the laws are complied with, as this poisons the bowels of society and slowly causes its destruction.

The hope of changing this culture comes with the stability of the economy (after 17 years of Plano Real), respect for democratic rules and the rise of the class C. There could not be a better time for Brazil to conduct a deep behavioral analysis and change its culture. with respect to transgressions. It is time to encourage campaigns to forget, once and for all, that in the past some of us valued Gerson's Law, thinking of taking advantage of everything.

It is the historic moment of building a society in which the path is impervious to corruption. It is the perfect time to collectively think about how to build a society that we can all be proud of.

Roberto Abdenur is a retired diplomat and president of ETCO