In this collection of powerful corruption quotes, we delve into the depths of this pervasive problem, exploring the words of individuals who have witnessed and experienced its detrimental effects firsthand. These quotes serve as a reminder of the need for transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.
Corruption is a pervasive issue that plagues governments and politics worldwide, undermining trust, justice, and the welfare of societies. Uncovering the dark side of this phenomenon requires shedding light on its realities.
From renowned philosophers to political activists, their words resonate with the urgency of addressing corruption and its far-reaching consequences. Let us embark on a journey through these thought-provoking quotes, exposing the truth and inspiring change.
What is Corruption
Corrupt practices are the main cause of the decline in the fortunes of most empires and civilizations. It’s understandable that some people overlook corruption if their leaders represent their race or religion, while others accept bribery when it benefits their own pocketbook.
Although I have lived long enough to witness many of my friends who condemned corruption and bribed police officers to vote for leaders who championed their race, I have yet to see them bribe cops.
Corruption plagues several countries. The issue has become a major concern throughout the world, but in developing and underdeveloped countries, it is up there with blasphemy. The governments of these nations are dealing with extreme poverty and economic crisis, which has led to corruption.
Many areas of society have been affected, including government, business, and the military. Since many times even enforcement officials and legislators turn out to be corrupt, it is absurd to believe that regulations will stop corruption by themselves. Check out the following quotes to learn more about corruption.
No government functions without the grease of corruption. -Carlos Fuentes
Famous Corruption Quotes
- Let’s fight against corruption for a better India. -Rahul Gandhi
- Not just charity, but even corruption begins at home. -K. Hari Kumar
- The corruption of the American soul is consumerism. -Ben Nicholson
- We now have a national reputation for corruption. -Chris Redfern
- Do not think that you can fight corruption while you let corruption fester within. -LYMAN ABBOTT
- The starting point of sanctification is the filthiness, corruption, or stain of sin. -William Ames
- Blest paper credit! last and best supply! That lends corruption lighter wings to fly! -Alexander Pope
- The two greatest priorities for my government are tackling tax evasion and corruption. -Mario Monti
- The use of history as therapy means the corruption of history as history. -Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
- Nothing, absolutely nothing, was above corruption so long as human beings were involved. -David Baldacci
- Nietzsche’s accomplishment is that he permits us to see corruption from the inside. -Robert Payne
- One of the necessary accompaniments of capitalism in a democracy is political corruption. -Upton Sinclair
Quotes About Corruption
- Wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption. -J. C. Ryle
- Under government ownership, corruption can flourish just as rankly as under private ownership. -Theodore Roosevelt
- If you can sense the corruption in me, it is. because there’s a dose of it in you. -LOUIS AUCHINCLOSS
- Corruption is the flesh that covers every bone. -CHUKWUEMEKA E. ONYEJINDUAKA
- The mistake you make, don’t you see, is in thinking one can live in a corrupt society without being corrupt oneself. -GEORGE ORWELL
- There is something in corruption that, like a jaundiced eye, transfers the color of itself to the object it looks upon and sees everything stained and impure. -THOMAS PAINE
- Reject every form of corruption. -Pope Francis
- Realism is a corruption of reality. -Wallace Stevens
- Transparency in government leads to reduced corruption. -Julian Assange
- Fighting corruption is not a one-night affair. -Olusegun Obasanjo
- Purity without balance is its own corruption. -V. E. Schwab
- Hillary Clinton embodies the corruption of Washington. -Ted Cruz
- Guilt was imputed and corruption was conveyed. -Gordon Clark
- When you fight corruption, it fights back. -Nuhu Ribadu
- I’m sure corruption in Chechnya is minimal. -Vladimir Putin
- Salaries are a huge area of corruption. -Ashraf Ghani
- All my life I have fought corruption. -A. K. Antony
- Will make Delhi a corruption-free, world-class city. -Arvind Kejriwal
- Ecclesiastical establishments tend to have great ignorance and corruption. -James Madison
- Christianity and alcohol are the two great means of corruption. -Friedrich Nietzsche
- Those who fight corruption should clean themselves. -Vladimir Putin
Quote on Corruption
- The bigger the government, the greater the corruption. -Dennis Prager
- If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already. -BOB MARLEY
- The world is full of corruption, deceit, and deviltry — chock full of it. -JAMES MONTGOMERY BAILEY
- Instead of politicians, let the monkeys govern the countries; at least they will steal only the bananas. -MEHMET MURAT ILDAN
- Power attracts the corruptible. Suspect any who seek it. -FRANK HERBERT
- Corruption is the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty. -EDWARD GIBBON
- I will be happy with certainly when the corruption index improves. -Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
- The corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- We must fight against negativeness – especially bureaucracy, corruption, and wastefulness. -Nong Duc Manh
- The corruption of the best things gives rise to the worst. -David Hume
- Hillary Clinton’s life has been filled with corruption but nobody cares. -Jackie Mason
- The corruption of people is to behave in an inhuman way. -Alan Bullock’s
Government Corruption Quotes
- Since when has corruption everywhere, homes, streets, and offices, become a Nigerian factor? –Sunday Adelaja
- Extremely disappointed that corruption may have reached such a level in Mexico. -Barry McCaffrey
- The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference. -Bess Myerson
- Moral cowardice and intellectual corruption are the natural concomitants of unchallenged privilege. -Noam Chomsky
- Corruption hates what is not corrupt. -PAUL PARK
- As the world changes, the forms of corruption also gradually become more cunning, and more difficult to point out–but they certainly do not become better. -SØREN KIERKEGAARD
- I read all the papers What did I see? Page-to-page corruption Thank god it’s not me. -THE LIVING END
- I have seen corruption boil and bubble ’til it overruns the stew. -WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
- Putin sought to keep Ukraine weak through corruption. -Joe Biden
- Elected on an anti-corruption platform in 1978. -Newt Gingrich
- Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still, more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. -LORD ACTON
Quotes on Corruption of Power
- The worst disease in the world today is corruption. And there is a cure: transparency. -BONO
- Life is a corrupting process from the time a child learns to play his mother off against his father in the politics of when to go to bed; he who fears corruption fears life. -SAUL ALINSKY
- Each of us is born with a share of purity, predestined to be corrupted by our commerce with mankind. -EMILE CIORAN
- The corruption that most citizens experience, and which is most disruptive on a daily basis, is frequently called “petty,” as distinct from “venal” or “grand” corruption. Petty corruption is annoying, but for people in a hurry or for people who don’t want to stand in the same queue over and over, it is expedient. –ROBERT I. ROTBERG
- Corruption wins not more than honesty. -WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
- Contradiction is the salt that keeps the truth from corruption. -John Lancaster Spalding
- The boxing world is full of all kinds of corruption. -Al Sharpton
- But laughter is weakness, corruption, the foolishness of our flesh. -Umberto Eco
- Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises. -George Papandreou
- Republicans cannot be trusted to end the culture of corruption. -Harry Reid’s
Political Corruption Quotes
- I have always been fascinated by the corruption of power. -Joe Eszterhas
- The state is obliged to fight corruption within the government. -Enrique Pena Nieto
- But eradicating corruption is not enough to sustain a country. -Eduard Shevardnadze
- In our corruption, we perceive beauties unrevealed to ancient times. -Charles Baudelaire
- I see corruption as a mortal enemy for young democracies. -Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
- He could smell her mortality, the sweet rot of corruption. -Cassandra Clare
- Stagnation is something worse than death. It is corruption, also. -William Gilmore Simms
- Purity is a good mask for corruption because it discourages inquiry. -Steven Levitt
- Oil-for-food shows the need for reform. There was fraud, corruption, and mismanagement. -Norm Coleman
- Both political parties have a richly vested interest in corporate corruption. -Arianna Huffington
Politics Corruption Quotes
- To oppose corruption in government is the highest obligation of patriotism. -G. Edward Griffin
- We cannot build an economy where corruption is the working capital. -Muhammadu Buhari
- Contracting corruption has been around since the construction of the Appian Way. -Matt Taibbi
- The crisis of community has its source in the corruption of character. -Wendell Berry
- We have a circle of corruption and impunity that is too strong. -Josefina Vazquez Mota
- There is no part of the world where corruption is absolutely eliminated. -Olusegun Obasanjo
- Hypocrisy is the audacity to preach integrity from a den of corruption. -Wes Fesler
- The inherent corruption of man can often bring down the best system. -Alexis Denisof
- It is the purity of spirit that will keep corruption from the flesh. -Mark Lawrence
- Whenever there are some who have more opportunities than others, this feeds corruption. -Enrique Pena Nieto
Final Thoughts!
As we conclude this compilation of powerful corruption quotes, it becomes evident that the fight against corruption is a collective responsibility. Each quote sheds light on the insidious nature of corruption and the urgent need for change.
Now armed with these insights, it is up to us to take action, demand accountability, and work towards a more just and transparent society. Let these quotes serve as a reminder of the importance of integrity, ethical leadership, and the power of individuals to bring about positive change.
Share these words, spark conversations, and join the movement to expose and eradicate corruption. Together, we can create a better future for generations to come. Your feedback is invaluable, so please share your thoughts and experiences, and let’s continue the dialogue on combating corruption.