Questões Militares
Comentadas sobre interpretação de texto | reading comprehension em inglês
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Many South Africans remain poor and unemployment is high − a factor blamed for a wave of violent attacks against migrant workers from other African countries in 2008 and protests by township residents over poor living conditions during the summer of 2009.
Land redistribution is a crucial problem that continues existing. Most farmland is still white-owned. ________ land acquisition on a "willing buyer, willing seller" basis, officials have signaled that large-scale expropriations are on the cards. The government aims to transfer 30% of farmland to black South Africans by 2014.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1071886.stm
According to the cartoon, FIFA
When football _____ professional in South Africa in 1959, 12 clubs broke from the amateur ranks. However, in the strict days of Apartheid, these pioneers _____ whites-only organizations and _____ today, all but a few, defunct. One of the survivors is Arcadia from Tshwane/ Pretoria, an outfit that today competes in the amateur ranks and concentrates on junior football.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup
The Mona Lisa
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is widely recognized as the most famous painting of all time. She has aroused admiration, curiosity and suspicion for over 500 years. She can provoke a reaction known as the Mona Lisa Syndrome: the viewer is enchanted by her legendary smile, which becomes increasingly enigmatic the more you look at it.
As it will never be sold, the Mona Lisa is priceless, although for insurance reasons it is believed to be valued at anything up to $ 1 billion.
( Adapted from Move – Intermediate)
GLOSSARY
to arouse – despertar
to enchant – encantar
legendary – fabuloso, lendário
insurance – apólice de seguro
Service Animals
A Therapy Dog is a kind of service animal – an animal that helps people. The most common service animal is a seeing eye dog. A seeing eye dog helps blind people. However, dogs help people in many other ways. Hearing ear dogs help people with hearing problems. These dogs listen for specific noises, such as a fire alarm. When the dog hears the sound, the dog touches the owner. However, if it’s an emergency, the dog may pull the owner out of danger. Usually small dogs are hearing ear dogs because they are easy to care for. Wheelchair assistance dogs are much larger because the dog’s main job is pulling the wheelchair. These dogs also open doors and get items for their owners, such as magazines.
(Adapted from Access Reading – Thompson)
And Now, Robodoc!
A robot in California performs its first invasive surgery on a human patient.
Medical robots in the U.S. have been used to locate hard-to-find tumors and guide a surgeon’s scalpel, but have never actually performed surgery on people. Now that line has been crossed. At Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, California, a 90-kg machine called Robodoc has operated on its first human patient: a 64-year-old man with a bad hip.
The robot played a key role in a total hip replacement, one of 500,000 such operations performed each year. The trick in these procedures is to create a snug hole into which the artificial hip snaps. The standard method is to jam a cutting tool into the thighbone with a handheld mallet. Robodoc, using the high-speed drill at the end of its mechanical arm, can ream a cavity that is 20 times as precise.
Robosurgery doesn’t have to stop at the hip. In Europe, where officials are less squeamish about such things, robots have assisted in operations on the brain, the prostate and the inner ear.
(Time International, November 23 1992, p.15)
And Now, Robodoc!
A robot in California performs its first invasive surgery on a human patient.
Medical robots in the U.S. have been used to locate hard-to-find tumors and guide a surgeon’s scalpel, but have never actually performed surgery on people. Now that line has been crossed. At Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, California, a 90-kg machine called Robodoc has operated on its first human patient: a 64-year-old man with a bad hip.
The robot played a key role in a total hip replacement, one of 500,000 such operations performed each year. The trick in these procedures is to create a snug hole into which the artificial hip snaps. The standard method is to jam a cutting tool into the thighbone with a handheld mallet. Robodoc, using the high-speed drill at the end of its mechanical arm, can ream a cavity that is 20 times as precise.
Robosurgery doesn’t have to stop at the hip. In Europe, where officials are less squeamish about such things, robots have assisted in operations on the brain, the prostate and the inner ear.
(Time International, November 23 1992, p.15)
The Pilot's Advice
- Daytime. South America. Overcast. Good Visibility.
On approaching the buoyed deep water channel which led to the breakwater at the entrance to the port, I was in radio contact with the pilot launch, who reported that he was taking a pilot to a vessel anchored further out before bringing us our pilot. On receipt of this information I slowed to a speed to give bare steerage way. Eventually, however, we arrived at the buoyed channel before the pilot launch had returned to us, therefore, I altered course to proceed up the buoyed channel with still minimum power to counteract the cross-tide effect. Once the pilot boarded he ordered "Full Ahead" and moved into the centre of the channel. By this time the other vessel entering the port was close astern of us and rapidly overtaking our vessel. There then developed an intense discussion in the local language between my pilot and the pilot of the overtaking vessel as to who should pass through the breakwater first. Following this discussion my pilot advised me that as we were proceeding further up the harbor we should enter first and so we should maintain full speed. By this time the other vessel's bow was level with our stern and still overhauling us rapidly.
The situation was allowed by both pilots to develop until the bows were level. I was conning my vessel from the bridge front auxiliary tiller and could feel the intense interaction between the two vessels, I insisted to my pilot that we should reduce speed and allow the other vessel to proceed ahead of us. At this time the pilot of the other vessel stated clearly that my vessel should enter the breakwater first and that he had put his vessel on slow speed, we were then no more than 3 cables from the breakwater. The other vessel dropped rapidly astern and a dangerous situation was averted.
I think this was a case of the "Senior" pilot on the other vessel bullying the pilot on our vessel and so causing a hazardous and highly unnecessary situation.
(from the site: www.nautinst.org - MARS Report 93009)
Mark the correct alternative which completes the sentence.
When the tide in an area is moving up, it's said to be _________________.
The Pilot's Advice
- Daytime. South America. Overcast. Good Visibility.
On approaching the buoyed deep water channel which led to the breakwater at the entrance to the port, I was in radio contact with the pilot launch, who reported that he was taking a pilot to a vessel anchored further out before bringing us our pilot. On receipt of this information I slowed to a speed to give bare steerage way. Eventually, however, we arrived at the buoyed channel before the pilot launch had returned to us, therefore, I altered course to proceed up the buoyed channel with still minimum power to counteract the cross-tide effect. Once the pilot boarded he ordered "Full Ahead" and moved into the centre of the channel. By this time the other vessel entering the port was close astern of us and rapidly overtaking our vessel. There then developed an intense discussion in the local language between my pilot and the pilot of the overtaking vessel as to who should pass through the breakwater first. Following this discussion my pilot advised me that as we were proceeding further up the harbor we should enter first and so we should maintain full speed. By this time the other vessel's bow was level with our stern and still overhauling us rapidly.
The situation was allowed by both pilots to develop until the bows were level. I was conning my vessel from the bridge front auxiliary tiller and could feel the intense interaction between the two vessels, I insisted to my pilot that we should reduce speed and allow the other vessel to proceed ahead of us. At this time the pilot of the other vessel stated clearly that my vessel should enter the breakwater first and that he had put his vessel on slow speed, we were then no more than 3 cables from the breakwater. The other vessel dropped rapidly astern and a dangerous situation was averted.
I think this was a case of the "Senior" pilot on the other vessel bullying the pilot on our vessel and so causing a hazardous and highly unnecessary situation.
(from the site: www.nautinst.org - MARS Report 93009)
Mark the correct statement according to the following situation.
Ships passing by Rosario Strait, U.S.A., have noticed a new
sand bank 6 miles from the entrance to the strait and have
informed the port authorities about it. The authorities
decide to broadcast this to other vessels in the area as
there is a lot of traffic. They say:
The Pilot's Advice
- Daytime. South America. Overcast. Good Visibility.
On approaching the buoyed deep water channel which led to the breakwater at the entrance to the port, I was in radio contact with the pilot launch, who reported that he was taking a pilot to a vessel anchored further out before bringing us our pilot. On receipt of this information I slowed to a speed to give bare steerage way. Eventually, however, we arrived at the buoyed channel before the pilot launch had returned to us, therefore, I altered course to proceed up the buoyed channel with still minimum power to counteract the cross-tide effect. Once the pilot boarded he ordered "Full Ahead" and moved into the centre of the channel. By this time the other vessel entering the port was close astern of us and rapidly overtaking our vessel. There then developed an intense discussion in the local language between my pilot and the pilot of the overtaking vessel as to who should pass through the breakwater first. Following this discussion my pilot advised me that as we were proceeding further up the harbor we should enter first and so we should maintain full speed. By this time the other vessel's bow was level with our stern and still overhauling us rapidly.
The situation was allowed by both pilots to develop until the bows were level. I was conning my vessel from the bridge front auxiliary tiller and could feel the intense interaction between the two vessels, I insisted to my pilot that we should reduce speed and allow the other vessel to proceed ahead of us. At this time the pilot of the other vessel stated clearly that my vessel should enter the breakwater first and that he had put his vessel on slow speed, we were then no more than 3 cables from the breakwater. The other vessel dropped rapidly astern and a dangerous situation was averted.
I think this was a case of the "Senior" pilot on the other vessel bullying the pilot on our vessel and so causing a hazardous and highly unnecessary situation.
(from the site: www.nautinst.org - MARS Report 93009)
The correct alternative to complete the sentence below is:
When the men aboard the tug receive the towing line from the ship, they _____________
Survivors say Canadian tall ship sank in minutes
Students and crew rescued from the sinking of a Canadia nowned tal ship in the South Atlantic were back on solid and Saturday after spending up to 40 hours in life rafts after their ship capsized.
The first of 64 people on board the three-masted SV Concordia were ferried into Rio de Janeiro aboard Brazilian Navy and merchant vessels, exhausted but relieved after their long ordeal.
Wearing navy caps and borrowed clothing, 12 of those rescued held an emotional news conference in Rio. The rest were to arrive later in the afternoon on two merchant vessels.
CTV producer Ana Pereira said survivors indicated that the ship went down very quickly, slipping beneath the waves. The ship’s captain said that his vessel sank Wednesday afternoon-a day earlier than previously reported - after being flipped on its side by a powerful gust of wind. He and his passengers and crew were rescued by merchant ships early Friday.
Capt. William Curry told reporters he was below deck when the ship suddenly keeled, banking over at a sharp, angle in the strong wind. Curry said that was normal, but when the vessel immediately went over a second time, he knew the vessel was in great danger.
The captain blamed the wreck on a “microburst”, a sudden, vertical downdraft that struck the entire surf ace area of the Concordia’s sails as it was angled over to one side. Within seconds, the boat went from sailing upright to lying on its side and beginning to sink.
Thirty minutes later it was completely underwater, Curry said.
“The boat started keeling a lot”, said 16-year-old passenger Lauren Unsworth, a Dutch-Canadian who lives in Amsterdam. “It came back up, keeled again, was basically lying on its side and all the windows began to break. That’s when we knew it was time to flee.”
Curry said that they abandoned ship and took to their life rafts in high winds and heavy seas, spending more than a day adrift in the Atlantic before spotting their rescuers.
“We had been in the life raft for about 30 hours when we saw a search plane for the first time”, Unsworth added. “That’s when we knew we were not alone and that help was on the way.” Toronto-native Keaton Farwell said her biggest fear was that no one was aware the group needed to be rescued.
“We thought our signal had failed and nobody knew and it could be weeks before we were saved”, she told a news conference. “The worst life-and-death thoughts were going through our heads, and everybody was panicking.”
The Navy said the distress signal was picked up about 5 p.m. Thursday. An Air Force plane later spotted life rafts in the ocean about 500 kilometers from Rio and a Navy ship and nearby merchant vessels moved in to aid in the rescue.
The first 12 crew and students came into port aboard a Brazilian Navy frigate. The rest were heading into Rio aboard slower merchant vessels and were expected to arrive later Saturday afternoon.
The Concordia was five days out from Montevideo, Uruguay, when it sank.
The Federal Transportations Safety Board says it will assist in an investigation to be led by the ship’s flag state country, Barbados.
The Concordia is owned by West Island College International with offices in Lunenburg, N.S. Forty-two of those onboard were identified as Canadians, mostly high school and university students, said Kate Knight, head of West Island College International of Lunenburg, which operates the Class Afloat program.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement thanking the Brazilian Navy and the merchant ships “for their swift and heroic response.”
(Adapted from: www.ctv.ca, www.ap.com, Feb. 2010)
Survivors say Canadian tall ship sank in minutes
Students and crew rescued from the sinking of a Canadia nowned tal ship in the South Atlantic were back on solid and Saturday after spending up to 40 hours in life rafts after their ship capsized.
The first of 64 people on board the three-masted SV Concordia were ferried into Rio de Janeiro aboard Brazilian Navy and merchant vessels, exhausted but relieved after their long ordeal.
Wearing navy caps and borrowed clothing, 12 of those rescued held an emotional news conference in Rio. The rest were to arrive later in the afternoon on two merchant vessels.
CTV producer Ana Pereira said survivors indicated that the ship went down very quickly, slipping beneath the waves. The ship’s captain said that his vessel sank Wednesday afternoon-a day earlier than previously reported - after being flipped on its side by a powerful gust of wind. He and his passengers and crew were rescued by merchant ships early Friday.
Capt. William Curry told reporters he was below deck when the ship suddenly keeled, banking over at a sharp, angle in the strong wind. Curry said that was normal, but when the vessel immediately went over a second time, he knew the vessel was in great danger.
The captain blamed the wreck on a “microburst”, a sudden, vertical downdraft that struck the entire surf ace area of the Concordia’s sails as it was angled over to one side. Within seconds, the boat went from sailing upright to lying on its side and beginning to sink.
Thirty minutes later it was completely underwater, Curry said.
“The boat started keeling a lot”, said 16-year-old passenger Lauren Unsworth, a Dutch-Canadian who lives in Amsterdam. “It came back up, keeled again, was basically lying on its side and all the windows began to break. That’s when we knew it was time to flee.”
Curry said that they abandoned ship and took to their life rafts in high winds and heavy seas, spending more than a day adrift in the Atlantic before spotting their rescuers.
“We had been in the life raft for about 30 hours when we saw a search plane for the first time”, Unsworth added. “That’s when we knew we were not alone and that help was on the way.” Toronto-native Keaton Farwell said her biggest fear was that no one was aware the group needed to be rescued.
“We thought our signal had failed and nobody knew and it could be weeks before we were saved”, she told a news conference. “The worst life-and-death thoughts were going through our heads, and everybody was panicking.”
The Navy said the distress signal was picked up about 5 p.m. Thursday. An Air Force plane later spotted life rafts in the ocean about 500 kilometers from Rio and a Navy ship and nearby merchant vessels moved in to aid in the rescue.
The first 12 crew and students came into port aboard a Brazilian Navy frigate. The rest were heading into Rio aboard slower merchant vessels and were expected to arrive later Saturday afternoon.
The Concordia was five days out from Montevideo, Uruguay, when it sank.
The Federal Transportations Safety Board says it will assist in an investigation to be led by the ship’s flag state country, Barbados.
The Concordia is owned by West Island College International with offices in Lunenburg, N.S. Forty-two of those onboard were identified as Canadians, mostly high school and university students, said Kate Knight, head of West Island College International of Lunenburg, which operates the Class Afloat program.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement thanking the Brazilian Navy and the merchant ships “for their swift and heroic response.”
(Adapted from: www.ctv.ca, www.ap.com, Feb. 2010)
Survivors say Canadian tall ship sank in minutes
Students and crew rescued from the sinking of a Canadia nowned tal ship in the South Atlantic were back on solid and Saturday after spending up to 40 hours in life rafts after their ship capsized.
The first of 64 people on board the three-masted SV Concordia were ferried into Rio de Janeiro aboard Brazilian Navy and merchant vessels, exhausted but relieved after their long ordeal.
Wearing navy caps and borrowed clothing, 12 of those rescued held an emotional news conference in Rio. The rest were to arrive later in the afternoon on two merchant vessels.
CTV producer Ana Pereira said survivors indicated that the ship went down very quickly, slipping beneath the waves. The ship’s captain said that his vessel sank Wednesday afternoon-a day earlier than previously reported - after being flipped on its side by a powerful gust of wind. He and his passengers and crew were rescued by merchant ships early Friday.
Capt. William Curry told reporters he was below deck when the ship suddenly keeled, banking over at a sharp, angle in the strong wind. Curry said that was normal, but when the vessel immediately went over a second time, he knew the vessel was in great danger.
The captain blamed the wreck on a “microburst”, a sudden, vertical downdraft that struck the entire surf ace area of the Concordia’s sails as it was angled over to one side. Within seconds, the boat went from sailing upright to lying on its side and beginning to sink.
Thirty minutes later it was completely underwater, Curry said.
“The boat started keeling a lot”, said 16-year-old passenger Lauren Unsworth, a Dutch-Canadian who lives in Amsterdam. “It came back up, keeled again, was basically lying on its side and all the windows began to break. That’s when we knew it was time to flee.”
Curry said that they abandoned ship and took to their life rafts in high winds and heavy seas, spending more than a day adrift in the Atlantic before spotting their rescuers.
“We had been in the life raft for about 30 hours when we saw a search plane for the first time”, Unsworth added. “That’s when we knew we were not alone and that help was on the way.” Toronto-native Keaton Farwell said her biggest fear was that no one was aware the group needed to be rescued.
“We thought our signal had failed and nobody knew and it could be weeks before we were saved”, she told a news conference. “The worst life-and-death thoughts were going through our heads, and everybody was panicking.”
The Navy said the distress signal was picked up about 5 p.m. Thursday. An Air Force plane later spotted life rafts in the ocean about 500 kilometers from Rio and a Navy ship and nearby merchant vessels moved in to aid in the rescue.
The first 12 crew and students came into port aboard a Brazilian Navy frigate. The rest were heading into Rio aboard slower merchant vessels and were expected to arrive later Saturday afternoon.
The Concordia was five days out from Montevideo, Uruguay, when it sank.
The Federal Transportations Safety Board says it will assist in an investigation to be led by the ship’s flag state country, Barbados.
The Concordia is owned by West Island College International with offices in Lunenburg, N.S. Forty-two of those onboard were identified as Canadians, mostly high school and university students, said Kate Knight, head of West Island College International of Lunenburg, which operates the Class Afloat program.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement thanking the Brazilian Navy and the merchant ships “for their swift and heroic response.”
(Adapted from: www.ctv.ca, www.ap.com, Feb. 2010)
Survivors say Canadian tall ship sank in minutes
Students and crew rescued from the sinking of a Canadia nowned tal ship in the South Atlantic were back on solid and Saturday after spending up to 40 hours in life rafts after their ship capsized.
The first of 64 people on board the three-masted SV Concordia were ferried into Rio de Janeiro aboard Brazilian Navy and merchant vessels, exhausted but relieved after their long ordeal.
Wearing navy caps and borrowed clothing, 12 of those rescued held an emotional news conference in Rio. The rest were to arrive later in the afternoon on two merchant vessels.
CTV producer Ana Pereira said survivors indicated that the ship went down very quickly, slipping beneath the waves. The ship’s captain said that his vessel sank Wednesday afternoon-a day earlier than previously reported - after being flipped on its side by a powerful gust of wind. He and his passengers and crew were rescued by merchant ships early Friday.
Capt. William Curry told reporters he was below deck when the ship suddenly keeled, banking over at a sharp, angle in the strong wind. Curry said that was normal, but when the vessel immediately went over a second time, he knew the vessel was in great danger.
The captain blamed the wreck on a “microburst”, a sudden, vertical downdraft that struck the entire surf ace area of the Concordia’s sails as it was angled over to one side. Within seconds, the boat went from sailing upright to lying on its side and beginning to sink.
Thirty minutes later it was completely underwater, Curry said.
“The boat started keeling a lot”, said 16-year-old passenger Lauren Unsworth, a Dutch-Canadian who lives in Amsterdam. “It came back up, keeled again, was basically lying on its side and all the windows began to break. That’s when we knew it was time to flee.”
Curry said that they abandoned ship and took to their life rafts in high winds and heavy seas, spending more than a day adrift in the Atlantic before spotting their rescuers.
“We had been in the life raft for about 30 hours when we saw a search plane for the first time”, Unsworth added. “That’s when we knew we were not alone and that help was on the way.” Toronto-native Keaton Farwell said her biggest fear was that no one was aware the group needed to be rescued.
“We thought our signal had failed and nobody knew and it could be weeks before we were saved”, she told a news conference. “The worst life-and-death thoughts were going through our heads, and everybody was panicking.”
The Navy said the distress signal was picked up about 5 p.m. Thursday. An Air Force plane later spotted life rafts in the ocean about 500 kilometers from Rio and a Navy ship and nearby merchant vessels moved in to aid in the rescue.
The first 12 crew and students came into port aboard a Brazilian Navy frigate. The rest were heading into Rio aboard slower merchant vessels and were expected to arrive later Saturday afternoon.
The Concordia was five days out from Montevideo, Uruguay, when it sank.
The Federal Transportations Safety Board says it will assist in an investigation to be led by the ship’s flag state country, Barbados.
The Concordia is owned by West Island College International with offices in Lunenburg, N.S. Forty-two of those onboard were identified as Canadians, mostly high school and university students, said Kate Knight, head of West Island College International of Lunenburg, which operates the Class Afloat program.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement thanking the Brazilian Navy and the merchant ships “for their swift and heroic response.”
(Adapted from: www.ctv.ca, www.ap.com, Feb. 2010)
Survivors say Canadian tall ship sank in minutes
Students and crew rescued from the sinking of a Canadia nowned tal ship in the South Atlantic were back on solid and Saturday after spending up to 40 hours in life rafts after their ship capsized.
The first of 64 people on board the three-masted SV Concordia were ferried into Rio de Janeiro aboard Brazilian Navy and merchant vessels, exhausted but relieved after their long ordeal.
Wearing navy caps and borrowed clothing, 12 of those rescued held an emotional news conference in Rio. The rest were to arrive later in the afternoon on two merchant vessels.
CTV producer Ana Pereira said survivors indicated that the ship went down very quickly, slipping beneath the waves. The ship’s captain said that his vessel sank Wednesday afternoon-a day earlier than previously reported - after being flipped on its side by a powerful gust of wind. He and his passengers and crew were rescued by merchant ships early Friday.
Capt. William Curry told reporters he was below deck when the ship suddenly keeled, banking over at a sharp, angle in the strong wind. Curry said that was normal, but when the vessel immediately went over a second time, he knew the vessel was in great danger.
The captain blamed the wreck on a “microburst”, a sudden, vertical downdraft that struck the entire surf ace area of the Concordia’s sails as it was angled over to one side. Within seconds, the boat went from sailing upright to lying on its side and beginning to sink.
Thirty minutes later it was completely underwater, Curry said.
“The boat started keeling a lot”, said 16-year-old passenger Lauren Unsworth, a Dutch-Canadian who lives in Amsterdam. “It came back up, keeled again, was basically lying on its side and all the windows began to break. That’s when we knew it was time to flee.”
Curry said that they abandoned ship and took to their life rafts in high winds and heavy seas, spending more than a day adrift in the Atlantic before spotting their rescuers.
“We had been in the life raft for about 30 hours when we saw a search plane for the first time”, Unsworth added. “That’s when we knew we were not alone and that help was on the way.” Toronto-native Keaton Farwell said her biggest fear was that no one was aware the group needed to be rescued.
“We thought our signal had failed and nobody knew and it could be weeks before we were saved”, she told a news conference. “The worst life-and-death thoughts were going through our heads, and everybody was panicking.”
The Navy said the distress signal was picked up about 5 p.m. Thursday. An Air Force plane later spotted life rafts in the ocean about 500 kilometers from Rio and a Navy ship and nearby merchant vessels moved in to aid in the rescue.
The first 12 crew and students came into port aboard a Brazilian Navy frigate. The rest were heading into Rio aboard slower merchant vessels and were expected to arrive later Saturday afternoon.
The Concordia was five days out from Montevideo, Uruguay, when it sank.
The Federal Transportations Safety Board says it will assist in an investigation to be led by the ship’s flag state country, Barbados.
The Concordia is owned by West Island College International with offices in Lunenburg, N.S. Forty-two of those onboard were identified as Canadians, mostly high school and university students, said Kate Knight, head of West Island College International of Lunenburg, which operates the Class Afloat program.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement thanking the Brazilian Navy and the merchant ships “for their swift and heroic response.”
(Adapted from: www.ctv.ca, www.ap.com, Feb. 2010)
The Big Destructiveness Of The Tiny Bribe
Alexandra Wrage 03.01.2010
The smallest bribes can be the most vexing. Not suitcases full of money and transfers to offshore accounts, but the thousands of everyday payments people make to Indian building inspectors, Chinese customs officials and Nigerian airport functionaries, just to get things done. They’re payments for routine government services that a government official is legally obliged to perform but for which he’s hoping to skim off a little extra.
Unlike more serious bribes, these very modest payouts, formally known as “facilitating payments”, are not against the laws of the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Korea, when made abroad. They’re illegal for Great Britain, but the Serious Fraud Office there has taken the extraordinary public position that they’re unlikely to give rise to a prosecution.
Why don’t governments that lead the fight against large-scale bribery fall in line with what is already the practice of many major companies? They don’t want to outlaw such small-scale graft in foreign places, they say, because they don’t have the manpower to prosecute violators. By that logic, communities with just enough resources to handle murder and armed robbery would give a green light to shoplifting. You’d think a government could at least go after a few high-profile cases to set an example and a precedent. Permitting these smaller payments has to impede the effort to crack down on the larger ones. Companies know this.
“Facilitating” bribes are not tips. Tipping is voluntary, and you decide to do it after a service has been rendered. You don’t pay it at the outset to induce the waiter to bring the food, and you can always go somewhere else to eat next time should the service be bad. Nor are they welfare for underpaid civil servants. If government workers are underpaid, we should compensate them for the cost of customs inspections or airport security by aboveboard means, through taxation and so forth. Payment to individuals not only slows service but also encourages entrepreneurial civil servants to increase their income by creating more and greater obstacles.
Nor are they a mere distraction from the fight against bigger bribes. Rather, they fuel the problem. Junior officials who look for small bribes rise to higher positions by paying off those above them. Corruption creates pyramids of illegal payments flowing upward. Legalizing the base of the pyramid gives it a strong and lasting foundation.
Nor are these payments legal where they’re made. They may not be banned by the wealthy countries mentioned above, but they are outlawed in the countries where they’re actually a problem. Do developed countries want to say they wouldn’t tolerate such payments at home but don’t care if they’re made abroad? And since they’re illegal in the countries where they’re paid, companies can’t put them on their books. The classic cover for a bribe is to call it a “consulting fee”, but that is a books and records violation that is illegal in any country.
(www.forbes.com. Adaptado.)
No trecho do quinto parágrafo – Nor are they welfare for underpaid civil servants. – a palavra they refere-se a
The Big Destructiveness Of The Tiny Bribe
Alexandra Wrage 03.01.2010
The smallest bribes can be the most vexing. Not suitcases full of money and transfers to offshore accounts, but the thousands of everyday payments people make to Indian building inspectors, Chinese customs officials and Nigerian airport functionaries, just to get things done. They’re payments for routine government services that a government official is legally obliged to perform but for which he’s hoping to skim off a little extra.
Unlike more serious bribes, these very modest payouts, formally known as “facilitating payments”, are not against the laws of the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Korea, when made abroad. They’re illegal for Great Britain, but the Serious Fraud Office there has taken the extraordinary public position that they’re unlikely to give rise to a prosecution.
Why don’t governments that lead the fight against large-scale bribery fall in line with what is already the practice of many major companies? They don’t want to outlaw such small-scale graft in foreign places, they say, because they don’t have the manpower to prosecute violators. By that logic, communities with just enough resources to handle murder and armed robbery would give a green light to shoplifting. You’d think a government could at least go after a few high-profile cases to set an example and a precedent. Permitting these smaller payments has to impede the effort to crack down on the larger ones. Companies know this.
“Facilitating” bribes are not tips. Tipping is voluntary, and you decide to do it after a service has been rendered. You don’t pay it at the outset to induce the waiter to bring the food, and you can always go somewhere else to eat next time should the service be bad. Nor are they welfare for underpaid civil servants. If government workers are underpaid, we should compensate them for the cost of customs inspections or airport security by aboveboard means, through taxation and so forth. Payment to individuals not only slows service but also encourages entrepreneurial civil servants to increase their income by creating more and greater obstacles.
Nor are they a mere distraction from the fight against bigger bribes. Rather, they fuel the problem. Junior officials who look for small bribes rise to higher positions by paying off those above them. Corruption creates pyramids of illegal payments flowing upward. Legalizing the base of the pyramid gives it a strong and lasting foundation.
Nor are these payments legal where they’re made. They may not be banned by the wealthy countries mentioned above, but they are outlawed in the countries where they’re actually a problem. Do developed countries want to say they wouldn’t tolerate such payments at home but don’t care if they’re made abroad? And since they’re illegal in the countries where they’re paid, companies can’t put them on their books. The classic cover for a bribe is to call it a “consulting fee”, but that is a books and records violation that is illegal in any country.
(www.forbes.com. Adaptado.)
Conheça nossos planos