The Mirror of Corruption

A bill t o r e f o r m t h e l a w o n t h e m i s u s e o f p u b l i c f u n d s , a m o u n t i n g v i r t u a l l y t o a
veiled amnesty, almost m a d e it to Parliament recently. A n d , m a k e no mistake
a b o u t it, i t will c o m e b e f o r e i t o n e d a y i n s o m e f o r m o r a n o t h e r . T h e Pelat affair
has a l r e a d y b e e n s h e l v e d .

29

W h a t i s e u p h e m i s t i c a l l y called t h e m i s u s e o f p u b l i c

f u n d s o f t e n relates t o t h e a p p o r t i o n m e n t o f f u n d s a n d p r o p e r t y t h a t are a l m o s t a s
illicit a s d r u g s m o n e y . Y o u c a n n o t , i n fact, see w h e r e t h e c h a i n o f c o r r u p t i o n
b e g i n s a n d e n d s . T a p i e e m b e z z l i n g m o n e y t o f i x f o o t b a l l m a t c h e s c a n b e called
c o r r u p t , b u t isn't t h e C r e d i t L y o n n a i s , w h i c h s o g e n e r o u s l y k e p t Tapie's coffers
t o p p e d up, just as corrupt? (and i n d e e d Tapie wasn't slow to criticize it in an
effort t o e x c u s e his o w n a c t i o n s ) . A n d d o e s n ' t all t h e m o n e y s q u a n d e r e d i n r i s k y
29. Mr Patrice Pelat was said to have benefited from building w o r k w h i c h was invoiced as part
of projects relating to a hospital in Le M a n s and a school at Courbevoie, b u t actually carried o u t on
his property in Sologne. This was, allegedly, part of an arrangement to pay Mr Pelat back for obtaining a contract in N o r t h Korea. Mr Pelat was a friend of the French president Francois Mitterand and
was in fact the m a n alleged by Le Canard enchaine to have supplied Pierre Beregovoy w i t h the
interest-free loan of 1 million francs in 1986. See n o t e 1 1 , p. 71

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v e n t u r e s b y t h e s a m e C r e d i t L y o n n a i s , like m a n y o t h e r b a n k s a n d financial i n s t i t u t i o n s , a m o u n t t o e m b e z z l e m e n t a n d m i s u s e o f p u b l i c funds? N o o n e speaks

o u t against this s c a n d a l , o n t h e g r o u n d s t h a t i t i s n o t a m a t t e r for t h e law. B u t w e
k n o w t h a t t h e r e i s m u c h m o r e ' l e g a l ' fraud t h a n illegal. T h i s t h r o w s t h e a n t i c o r r u p t i o n o p e r a t i o n i n t o p e r s p e c t i v e , a n d i n a sense r e n d e r s i t r i d i c u l o u s - t h a t
o p e r a t i o n w h i c h , in its way, p r o v i d e s a c o v e r for ( a n d a d i v e r s i o n from) t h e real
corruption.
G e t t i n g t o t h e r o o t s o f c o r r u p t i o n w o u l d b e a n endless business. N o o n e c o u l d
p l u m b its d e p t h s . W i t h o u t a n y d o u b t , i t i s c o n s u b s t a n t i a l w i t h social f u n c t i o n i n g .
B u t a t least t h e ' w a r o n c o r r u p t i o n ' e v o k e s its s p e c t r e a n d p r e s e n t s u s w i t h i t a s
spectacle. N o w , t h e spectacle of c o r r u p t i o n is a vital f u n c t i o n in a d e m o c r a c y : it
provides e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d has a n educative, cathartic function. I t d o e s n o t p r o d u c e
any d e e p - s e a t e d b i t t e r n e s s ; o t h e r w i s e revolt w o u l d b e p e r m a n e n t l y festering. I n t h e
e n d , c o r r u p t i o n d o e s n o t a r o u s e a n y collective i n d i g n a t i o n ( t h o u g h , this, n a t u r a l l y
is filtered by t h e m e d i a ) . A n d , t h o u g h it is positively an o u t r a g e , t h e a m n e s t y bill
w h i c h i s i n t h e offing ( e c h o i n g t h e a m n e s t y F r e n c h m e m b e r s o f p a r l i a m e n t h a v e
g e n e r o u s l y g r a n t e d t h e m s e l v e s ) - a n a m n e s t y w h i c h a m o u n t s virtually t o a n i n v i t a t i o n t o c o r r u p t i o n - has n o t b r o u g h t t h e o u t c r y o n e w o u l d have e x p e c t e d from
a b o d y of democratic public opinion.
T h i s i s b e c a u s e , a t b o t t o m , n o o n e believes i n d e m o c r a c y E v e r y o n e d i m l y r e a l izes t h a t a n y s y s t e m f u n c t i o n s i n d e n i a l o f its o w n p r i n c i p l e s , transgressing its o w n
r u l e s . A n d this r e s i g n a t i o n o v e r p r i n c i p l e s feeds a n a b a s h e d c o n s e n s u s o n t h e
h i d d e n , i m m o r a l rules b y w h i c h o u r s o c i e t y o p e r a t e s . C o r r u p t i o n i n d e m o c r a c y i s
simply t h e n e w f o r m a s s u m e d by privilege t h e r u l e in earlier societies w h i c h has
m e r e l y b e c o m e illegal, t h u s a d d i n g f u r t h e r t o its c h a r m .
C o r r u p t i o n itself is, in this way, a vital f u n c t i o n : a secret m e c h a n i s m of a w h o l e
society, a s o u r c e of political energy, a p u b l i c service.
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E v e r y t h i n g i n t h e A R C s t o r y i s s c a n d a l o u s a n d repulsive, b u t i s i t n o t also s c a n d a l o u s t h a t m i l l i o n s o f p e o p l e are p r e p a r e d t o give w h e n asked t o d o s o i n a n y w a y

by charities or the m e d i a ?

3 0

H o w c a n w e d e m a n d t h a t officers o f c h a r i t i e s m a k e

r a t i o n a l a n d h o n e s t use o f funds g a t h e r e d s o easily, a n d g i v e n s o t r u s t i n g l y t o s u c h

a shady charity? It w o u l d be a m a z i n g if t h e y did so. M o r e o v e r , t h e s k u l d u g g e r y d o e s
n o t p r e v e n t t h e mystified v i c t i m s f r o m c o n t i n u i n g t o give w i t h t h e s a m e naivety.
Isn't t h e r e a n e l e m e n t o f responsibility i n this servility, w h e t h e r s p o n t a n e o u s o r
o r c h e s t r a t e d ? W h a t p e o p l e u l t i m a t e l y w a n t i s t o b e g i v e n a c h a n c e t o give, a s t h e y
h a v e e l s e w h e r e b e e n g i v e n t h e c h a n c e t o v o t e or, o n any o f t h e confessional T V
p r o g r a m m e s , t h e c h a n c e t o speak. S o t h o s e w h o satisfy this desire, t a k i n g t h e i r c u t
f r o m it as t h e y d o , are p e r f o r m i n g a g e n u i n e p u b l i c service. At any rate, t h e m o n e y
m i s a p p r o p r i a t e d i n t h e process, b e i n g d e f l e c t e d first f r o m its useful (private) p u r poses, t h e n f r o m its useful (public) p u r p o s e s b y t h e c a n c e r c r o o k s , still m e e t s t h e
s a m e fate: it is s q u a n d e r e d . In this r e s p e c t it is similar to t h e m o n e y sacrificed in
g a m b l i n g a n d i n p l a y i n g t h e lottery.
T h e State has n o t b e e n a l o n e i n e x p l o i t i n g this f o r m u l a i n all t h e v a r i o u s f o r m s
o f g a m b l i n g . A r e t h e i m p r o b a b l e s u m s w a s t e d o n g a m b l i n g for pointless (and h e n c e
i m m o r a l ) p u r p o s e s s o different f r o m t h e s u m s m i s a p p r o p r i a t e d b y b a n k s o r c o m p a n i e s t o pay t o politicians o r e m b e z z l e d b y t h e b u r e a u c r a t s o f c a n c e r research for
p u r p o s e s o f lavish e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d advertising? T h e citizen i s n o t p u n i s h e d for
this ' m i s u s e o f p r i v a t e f u n d s ' , for this i m m o r a l use o f his o w n m o n e y . I t m i g h t b e
said t h a t t h e State e n c o u r a g e s l o t t e r i e s for t h e profit i t m a k e s f r o m t h e m . B u t y o u

30. Jacques Crozemarie, former president of A R C (Association de R e c h e r c h e contre le Cancer),

was found guilty of embezzling the charity's funds and sentenced to four years in prison by the Paris
C o u r t of Appeal. He was also fined 2.5 million francs and required to pay 200 million francs in d a m ages t o A R C .

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c o u l d also say t h a t t h e colossal reverses suffered b y b a n k i n g c o n c e r n s t h r o u g h

f r a u d u l e n t p r o p e r l y dealings have c r e a t e d t h o u s a n d s o f j o b s a l o n g t h e w a y : a n d i s
this n o t t h e n u m b e r o n e p r i o r i t y ?
I n fact, i n t e r e s t a n d utility are n e v e r t h e k e y t o t h e story. I t has n e v e r b e e n t h e
primordial function of a society to p u t m o n e y a n d resources to m o r a l ends, even if
it is t h e a l l e g e d ideal of all o u r d e m o c r a c i e s . M o n e y r e m a i n s at all t i m e s a n d in all
places t h e a c c u r s e d share, t h e i m m o r a l share, t h e evil p o r t i o n . A n d t h e p r i m o r d i a l
f u n c t i o n r e m a i n s t h a t o f m a n a g i n g t h a t a c c u r s e d share, o f v o i d i n g a n d l a u n d e r i n g
m o n e y t h r o u g h gambling, waste, misappropriation and c o r r u p t i o n ; destroying
m o n e y b y its i m m o r a l use; d e s t r o y i n g evil w i t h evil. T h i s i s t h e strategy o f evil, t h e
politics o f evil w h i c h preserves t h e s y m b o l i c e q u i l i b r i u m o f a society. E v i l b e t o h i m
w h o evil t h i n k s . N o m o r e t h a n i t i s c o n c e i v a b l e t o r e b a l a n c e d e b t ( o n t h e lines o f
t h e s a m e ideal v i s i o n o f c r e d i t a n d t h e p r o p e r u s e o f m o n e y ) i s i t c o n c e i v a b l e t h a t
t h e r e w i l l b e a n ' e c o n o m i c a l l y c o r r e c t ' social d i s t r i b u t i o n o f m i s s p e n t m o n e y . T h a t
m o n e y , like d e b t , c a n n o t b e r e d e e m e d o r t r a n s f e r r e d t o a 'social satisfaction' o f
n e e d s , for - a n d this is t r u e of t h e m o s t archaic or t h e m o s t m o d e r n societies e v e r y social b o n d i s f u n d a m e n t a l l y t h r e a t e n e d b y m o n e y . T h e o n l y s o l u t i o n , t h e n ,
is to ' l a u n d e r ' it a n d , to t h a t e n d , to m i s s p e n d it, or at all costs to p u t it i n t o c i r c u l a t i o n , as q u i c k l y as possible to p u t t h e a c c u r s e d share i n t o o r b i t . W h i c h is d o n e ,
i n t h e i r o w n t i n y way, b y individuals a n d , o n a m u c h l a r g e r scale, b y all t h e s y n d i cates of fraudsters.
A p a r t f r o m b e i n g i m p r a c t i c a l , a s e x p e r i e n c e has s h o w n , t h e r a t i o n a l r e d i s t r i b u t i o n of resources is a d a n g e r o u s ideology. It confuses m e a n s a n d e n d s . It believes t h a t
m o n e y i s a m e a n s a n d can b e r e d e e m e d b y useful e n d s . A t o u c h i n g illusion. M o n e y
is a m e d i u m , n o t a m e a n s , a n d it has all t h e p o w e r of a m e d i u m w h i c h d e v e l o p s
a c c o r d i n g t o its o w n e n d s .

' E n l i g h t e n e d ' m i n d s t h i n k m o n e y , l i k e m a n for

R o u s s e a u , w o u l d b e naturally g o o d i f i t w e r e n o t m i s d i r e c t e d t o w a r d evil. B u t t h e

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o p p o s i t e is t r u e : m o n e y is, by its v e r y p r i n c i p l e , of t h e o r d e r of evil; it is its destiny

t o w o r k for evil a n d for i t t o m o v e t o w a r d s g o o d i t has t o b e subtly r e - r o u t e d .
T h i n g s h e r e are a s t h e y are w i t h h u m a n b e i n g s , w h o s e f u n d a m e n t a l passion, a c c o r d ing to Freud, is and remains hatred. It is hatred w h i c h binds h u m a n beings together
m u c h m o r e strongly t h a n love. A n d i t c h a n g e s i n t o love o n l y b y travelling d o w n
e x c e p t i o n a l p a t h w a y s , w h i c h r e m a i n f o r e v e r fragile. T h i s e r r o r o n t h e p a r t o f
p e o p l e ' o f g o o d w i l l ' i s fatal i n t h e political m a n a g e m e n t o f societies, since i t
m e r e l y p e r p e t u a t e s evil b y m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g its g u i d i n g p r i n c i p l e a n d t h e p e r v e r s e
e c o n o m y on w h i c h o u r society is based.
I f w e f o l l o w t h e p a t h s o f this politics o f evil, t h e i r o n i c p a t h s o f c o r r u p t i o n , w e
a r r i v e at a r e a s s u r i n g c o n c l u s i o n : t h e fact is t h a t c o r r u p t i o n is t h e ' b a d ' w h i c h p r e serves u s f r o m t h e w o r s t . T a k e t h e scandal w h i c h has b e e n m o s t i n t h e h e a d l i n e s :
t h e e m b e z z l e m e n t o f p u b l i c o r p r i v a t e funds for f i n a n c i n g e l e c t i o n c a m p a i g n s o r
political parties. W h a t finer e n d - g o a l for m o n e y t h a n t o b e s q u a n d e r e d i n t h a t
s u p r e m e l y useless o p e r a t i o n , t h a t l a u g h a b l e v e n t u r e , a n e l e c t i o n ? T h e s e funds have
at least g e n u i n e l y v a n i s h e d i n t o t h i n air. It is m e r e l y c o r r u p t m o n e y r e - u s e d for c o r r u p t e n d s a n d a t b o t t o m t h a t d o e s little h a r m t o t h e c o m m u n i t y . W h e n y o u t h i n k
w h a t w o u l d have c o m e o f a healthy, e n l i g h t e n e d m a n a g e m e n t o f these funds, all t h e
projects for t h e p u b l i c g o o d w h i c h w o u l d h a v e b e e n visited u p o n us, all t h e g y r a t o r y r o a d s c h e m e s , t h e t h o u s a n d s of useless offices that w h o l e s u p e r s t r u c t u r e , that
u r b a n , c u l t u r a l b l i g h t , o n w h i c h t o w n s a n d e v e n t h e smallest villages n o w a d a y s
pride themselves! N o t c o u n t i n g the further sophistication of administration, p o l i c i n g a n d security, t h e a d d i t i o n a l h e l p i n g of c u l t u r e a n d c o n t r o l - a n d all this for
o u r g r e a t e r g o o d ! A t least i n t h e c l a n d e s t i n e s q u a n d e r i n g o f t h e cash, w e are spared
all t h e s e d u b i o u s blessings.
C e r o n e t t i : ' O n e silly idea c u r r e n t l y d o i n g t h e r o u n d s : w h a t g o o d things w e c o u l d
d o w i t h all t h e m o n e y that's s p e n t ! I n fact, s t u p i d a n d c r i m i n a l a s w e are, w e
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w o u l d c e r t a i n l y d o w o r s e t h i n g s . T h e m o s t e x p e n s i v e w e a p o n s are o n e s t h a t are
u n u s a b l e as s u c h : t h e i r utility lies precisely in t h e q u a n t i t y of w e a l t h s u n k i n t o t h e m ,
w h i c h w o u l d o t h e r w i s e u n l e a s h itself i n o t h e r fields for t h e r u i n a t i o n o f t h e e a r t h
a n d t h e d e g r a d a t i o n o f its p e o p l e s . If, i n s t e a d o f m i l l i o n s o f p r i v a t e cars, w e b u i l t
b a t t l e t a n k s , t h e y w o u l d all e n d u p i n u n d e r g r o u n d d e p o t s a n d o u r cities w o u l d b e
able t o b r e a t h e . '
So, w e s h o u l d n ' t k e e p g o i n g o n a b o u t c o r r u p t i o n a n d e m b e z z l e m e n t o f all k i n d s
(in any case, t h e r e c r i m i n a t i o n is p a r t of t h e c r i m e ) . We s h o u l d lucidly take t h e v i e w
that, f r o m a rational p o i n t of v i e w a n d a reasonable h u m a n perspective, t h e r e are no
l o n g e r sufficient n e e d s o r useful e n d s t o c o p e w i t h s u c h a mass o f m o n e y a n d
r e s o u r c e s . W e r e i t n o t for efficient, o r g a n i z e d e m b e z z l e m e n t , t h e r e i s a d a n g e r w e
w o u l d be c o n f r o n t e d w i t h an excess of m e a n s a n d a s h o r t a g e of e n d s a grave a n d
d e m o r a l i z i n g s i t u a t i o n w h i c h w e m u s t stave off w i t h b a n k r u p t c i e s , waste, m i s u s e o f
p u b l i c funds, etc.
T h e o n l y offender i n all this, i f w e a c c e p t t h a t t h e m a i n f u n c t i o n o f m o n e y i s t o
circulate a n d b e s p e n t , i s t h e small saver. F o r w h e r e a s t h e b i g financial c r o o k s
m e r e l y c o n t r a v e n e t h e m o r a l l a w o r legality, h e c o n t r a v e n e s t h e i m m o r a l law, t h e
p r o f o u n d l a w of o u r s o c i e t y . . . Saving, t h e r e t e n t i o n of m o n i e s , t h e u n l a w f u l
i m p r i s o n m e n t o f p r i v a t e funds w h i c h c o u l d b e p u t t o p u b l i c use, t h a t i s t o say
w h i c h c o u l d b e c o m e l i q u i d capital t h a t i s w h e r e real c o r r u p t i o n lies today. A n d
i t i s o n l y r i g h t t h a t t h e l a w s h o u l d c o m e d o w n o n t h e small saver a t t h e s a m e t i m e
a s i t grants a n a m n e s t y t o t h e large-scale fraudsters a n d gives t h e g r e e n light t o t h e i r
operations.
19 February

149

1996