Corruption undermines governments’ ability to protect people and erodes public trust, provoking more and harder to control security threats. On the other hand, conflict creates opportunities for corruption and subverts governments’ efforts to stop it. Even countries with high CPI scores play a role in the threats that corruption poses to global security. For decades, they have welcomed dirty money from abroad, allowing kleptocrats to increase their wealth, power and destructive geopolitical ambitions.
Transparency International
Last Tuesday, ExxonMobil reported a record-breaking net profit of US$56 billion in 2022, surpassing its previous record of US$45.2 billion in 2008 when oil prices soared to US$132 per barrel. This prompted the White House to express outrage, noting that the profit margin was particularly “galling” at the time when Americans are paying high prices at the pump. The White House further stated that that oil companies have everything they need to increase production, including thousands of unused permits. Instead, they are choosing to ‘plow those profits into padding the pockets of executives and shareholders’.
