An important implication of
the saying, a fish rots from the head down, is that it is important that
corrupt heads be swiftly punished so underlings get the message that crime in
public office carries considerable risk. In the matter of Ukraine’s possible
accession (not merger!) into the E.U. as a new state, the old, deeply entrenched,
culture of corruption in the potential state has been of particular concern in
the E.U.’s executive branch, the European Commission. In both the E.U. and U.S.,
it’s worth asking whether some states are more corrupt than others. It is a
mistake to treat all states alike in terms of where to direct federal resources
and how much of a given state’s resources should be devoted to investigations
of state officials. At least in 2025, Illinois and France could be said to have
been “problem children” in this regard, and this doesn’t mean that Hawaii and
Sweden, for example, also had as sordid corrupt cultures.
The full essay is at "Corruption in France and Illinois."
