The power of corruption

When people are put in positions of power, they basically have two options.

They can either serve the people they were put in place to oversee or they can serve themselves. It is really as simple as that.

With this being a presidential election year, the candidates will be scrutinized from almost every conceivable angle, and one of those angles will be whether they will serve the public or their own special interests.

A primary complaint directed at elected officials these days is that they really don't care about the people they are governing. This is a complaint most candidates try to exploit because they repeatedly emphasize the need for change and that they can be that agent of change.

However, as frustrated as Americans get regarding how our government is run, there are examples all over the world that are much worse than what we experience.

For example, consider what the people in the Asian country of Myanmar have to tolerate.

People there have been under the thumb of a military dictatorship since the early 1960s. The number one priority of the government is maintaining and solidifying its power, and this was never more apparent than when a cyclone hit the nation a little more than a week ago.

Communication there is not what it is here in America. We take for granted that we can turn on The Weather Channel anytime during the day to keep abreast of the current weather conditions.

However, citizens in many portions of that country don't have that luxury. So, when the country was being threatened by the cyclone (the name for hurricanes in that part of the world), the only way most of them could have been warned was from their government.

Did this happen? Apparently not. According to published reports, the government knew for three days that the storm was coming and did little to prepare for it. When the cyclone hit the country, most of the people had no idea that they had been in danger.

Because of this, the loss of life and property has been staggering. There are estimates that the death toll will eventually climb to 138,000.

The secrecy and suspicion in which the government operates is also hindering relief efforts. The United Nations, Red Cross and other organizations have all criticized the government for the lack of cooperation they are receiving.

When looking at this, it is hard not to compare this situation to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. The U.S. government was rightfully criticized for its slow and shoddy response to that disaster that resulted in more than 1,800 deaths on the Gulf Coast.

Unfortunately for the citizens of Myanmar, their government's response to their disaster is making the Katrina response look like the gold standard for disaster relief.

Not only has the Myanmar government done a lousy job supporting relief efforts, but they are also trying to exploit the situation for propaganda purposes.

For example, as relief supplies are being handed out, the boxes they come in are stamped with the names of generals from the government.

The government wants this to come across like it is giving gifts to the people. They are manipulating the people into feeling gratitude to the government, but the people aren't being told the government withheld information about the storm.

So, the next time you grumble about our government, think about what the Myanmar people have to endure.

That doesn't excuse some of the actions of our government, but it should help put it all into perspective. We really do have it good.