La Mordida

World map of the Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures "the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians". Blue colors indicate little corruption, red colors indicate much corruption

Now who do you suppose could have made this map??? America of course, in their dishonest way of trying to pretend that they are not corrupt, and more so than many. This is a good example of how Americans become so brainwashed, giving them the proof they want that they are superior, so they do not question any further than that. Look, right there in pretty colors, and they are blue, of course, as they pat each other on their backs for it.

La Mordida, My Opinion

How things work in Mexico is always fascinating. There is a system, which is commonly called La Mordida, the little bite, or the name the Americans give it, corruption, that is much misunderstood by many, since it is not their system. In many ways it is against the larger progress, it stays a small time thing, when done in balance. It keeps a country from getting to much of its power going to the top. And this is why it has come under attack as a method that must be changed. The men on top are not getting their cut, it stops before it gets to them. While in a country like America, everything that comes down, the government gets its share, they loose no opportunity. Everyone and everything is milked.

Here is a good story as an example. Last Sunday morning my husband called a very high official at his home from a phone number that had been given to him for other business reasons quite a while back. He explained to this man that he had an opportunity to import several very large truck loads of equipment and parts for one of our businesses here. He explained that right now money was very short, and asked if he could pass the truck loads with no charge. And in exchange this winter when my husband breeds his dogs, the personal protection type, he will give him a puppy. The answer was, yes, of course, that sounds fine, it is a deal.

Stories like these are common, and looking at them goes from total disapproval, to acceptance that this is the way things are, a good deal. Some want to say this is wrong, it abuses a system where everything should be to the letter of the law and no flexibility. This particular deal leaves the next government official on up and the money trail, ended right there. So this is the objection, the top is not getting fed. But it is true, a government must make its money so that it can serve the people with the necessities of running a country correctly. So if this where to happen every time, the system would starve itself out, and only a few would benefit. But here is where balance comes in. For the most part one follows the rules, but on the exception, one does not. Life is not cut and dried, and neither should be money matters and business. It is always minding those laws that create a monster of it that has no give and take.

The Americans want to call it corruption, because of the word itself, it is negative and implies wrong doing and rot. This word is meant to influence the average mans thinking, it scares him and he knows corruption is wrong, so Mexico and its much freer and looser system is wrong, evilly wrong. But this is a lie, Mordida is a system, just another way to do things. As long as greed does not overcome, then it works, but no system does not suffer when greed is allowed to take over. Like the American government, taking way more of its share, for things like war and invasions, and leaving many of its citizens and businesses near broken from it. To me, this is corruption, the use of public money for bad intent and not to the benefit of mankind or their citizens.

In Mexico, on the everyday level, among the average citizen, this little play of money exchanged for a favor being done keeps a certain balance, and allows room for a fairness, for a chance, that might not otherwise be possible. A little favor, in exchange for a little money or whatever is available. The Americans want a paperwork trail, an accounting of every cent. But here, we are not at that point, and may we never be, that much efficiency leads to a system that no longer takes in the people at the bottom. The Mordida system is far from faultless, and far from being just corruption. It is a stage in development, it is workable, it is acceptable.

One of the problems is that Americans will use this label, corruption, for the local policeman who takes a little extra, or a drug lord who makes his profit illegally, or a politician that absconds with a fortune. So it makes it look all on the same level and like a major crime against humanity and civilization. But in reality, it is just a way to deal with money, make money, and keep things moving along. Each his own judge on how to handle it. After all my many years here, I have not seen where it is a harm, when not abused. The only harm is the image the Americans want to give Mexico because of it, and their false sense of superiority because they say Mexico is run on corruption and they are not.

There are far more problems in this world than the Mordida system, and much worse things to label corruption. Like the American destruction of over 1,000 hospitals in Iraq, this is corrupt, as well as illegal.