Bribery is not OK, readers say

Re: The Liberals stumble their way into a disaster, Conrad Black, March 9

I think Conrad Black has lost his moral compass when he argues that “there is nothing ethically wrong with bribing officials … As long as Canadian residents do not enrich themselves by such methods …” Really? So breaking the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act is ethical? This act was created at the request of our OECD partners to stop precisely this kind of behaviour that merely served to sustain various despots and government officials in their comfortable and corrupt lifestyles.

Finally, Snc-lavalin management were clearly enriched by such methods. Performance targets were met, allowing for larger bonus payouts, and with a rising stock value executive stock options appreciated significantly. Tom Hope, Toronto Readers of the National Post expect Mr. Black’s columns to be colourful, unusual and loquacious. Imagine our dismay when we read his comment: “There is nothing ethically wrong with bribing officials in Libya, Kerala (a state in India), Bangladesh and elsewhere …”

Mr. Black cannot possibly mean this. There is always something wrong with bribery.

Yes, it is widespread.

It is the curse of the developing world. It is the universal source of cynicism and despair.

It makes liars and thieves out of those who practise it. It discourages those who would otherwise follow the pathways of honesty. It makes a mockery of any and all kinds of political idealism. It rots the soul and leads to all manner of moral decay. Patrick Mckitrick, Burnaby, B.C.

JULIEN BESSET / AFP / GETTY IMAGES FILES The Montreal headquarters of Snc-lavalin, which has been at the centre of a Canadian controversy in recent weeks.