Videos Rouse Russian Anger Toward Police

Corruption is common, inescapable and an unpleasant fact of life in many countries. In 2009, a Novorossiysk police officer posted a video on YouTube challenging Vladimir Putin to take action and questioning where Russian society is headed. “International research organizations rank Russia as having the world’s most corrupt large economy, in part because of bribery linked to law enforcement personnel,” writes Clifford Levy for the New York Times, in an article linked to the officer’s video. “But senior Russian officials have long seemed to view the loyalty of police officers as more important than their integrity.” Public employees who don’t earn a living wage can resort to bribes or extortion – becoming indebted to authorities who overlook criminal acts in exchange for new favors. The officer was fired, investigated, jailed – but his video plea resonated with other Russians who likewise posted internet confessions, hoping to end the brutal cycle of corruption in their own lives. – YaleGlobal