Recently, the constantly sounding problem of the need to fight corruption on a national scale has already set the teeth on edge, since officials have lost measure and shame in terms of sophisticated extortion of gifts, money and other signs of attention and gratitude. At the same time, liberals of all stripes who are rooting for the people are putting forward demands for the resignation of the country's top officials, as if it is these leaders who contribute to the multiplication of those who breed parasites fattening on bribery.
Is it so? Or maybe the soul of a particular extortionist is still responsible for the extortion before God?
“Let not the hand of the giver fail”
In the Holy Scripture I did not find this common expression. There are similar ones:
“The one who gives to the beggar will not become poor, but whoever closes his eyes from him, there are many curses on him.” - Proverbs 28:27
“A person who is willingly giving is loved by God (and the lack of deeds will fill him up)” (2 Cor. 9: 7)
According to Russian cultural traditions, a gift must also be answered with a gift and the cost does not matter. The word "gift" has already been forgotten, i.e. the one who goes to visit, knowing that he will be treated, should not appear empty-handed, so as not to lose honor and dignity, not to belittle his soul before God and people.
Until now, in the villages, if you helped a granny with the repair of the fence or chopped and laid firewood, she will definitely feed you and be very offended if you refuse: “Well, at least take some seeds on the path, son, they are fresh, fried, delicious”!
And you take it - it is useless to offend. And where does this insult come from?
There was an ancient belief that by accepting anything for nothing, you will pay with your soul if you do not answer with dignity. Therefore, the now widespread opinion that Russians always dream of freebies is an absolute lie. This was not originally in our culture!
Theorists studying the problem of bribery argue that officials, upon receiving a rank, were provided with rights, property, and servants. But for their advisory and permissive assistance, they did not receive money from the state. Allegedly, this created the basis for the practice of illegal offerings, since the rank, position already obliged the employee to perform without payment.
M. N. Zadornov and others like him may have noticed for the first time the understatement of sayings. Everyone now knows the options: "If you hit on the right cheek, then substitute the left one, but don't let the hit", or "Hunger is not an aunt, but a mother."
This is how the continuation grew to the phrase I quoted:
May the hand of the giver not become scarce and may the hand of the one who take it not dry up
Most likely, the “takers” have taken to the folklore. Interesting old terms, reflecting the essence of extortion:
Many acquisitions - immeasurable enrichment.
Profanity is extortion.
Bribery - extortion for performing actions in the field of a range of professional problems.
Deceit - extortion for performing actions bypassing the law.
Misery - usury, life by% by prior arrangement. "Aki moss grows on the stump itself", so the interest-holder, without making any efforts, gets the means for a comfortable existence.
Now we have already learned the word OTKAT, and we read the definition - an official, when choosing a business partner, receives from the latter either a fixed amount or a percentage of the transaction for this choice. It is on the size of this rollback, and not on business interests, that the “hauler” is oriented. And such options are countless: charitable assistance to nonexistent subsidiaries, and payment for the education of children "abroad", and the message of a bank account, from which you can withdraw the amount, etc. Our ancestors would now break their language, choosing definitions!
All of the above creates a picture of the procession of bureaucratic souls "up the stairs leading down." You can even distinguish such 5 steps:
1. You came to an appointment with a legitimate question, the official listened to you and quickly, sensibly helped (who remembers this?). After receiving the result, you give him a gift or money as a token of gratitude. But he doesn't need to pay - that's why he sits there, to perform his duties efficiently and without hassle. Bribe of the 1st stage or Bz-I.
2. You came with an incompletely legal request and paid an official to help you get around the law. Ex-II.
3. You came to the appointment, it does not matter - with an easy or difficult legislative problem. But you will be "rolled over" i.e. spin the carousel of red tape until you pay. Ex-III.
4. With any of your requests, they will spread rot in the queues and chase for information until they beat you out of the tax. the amount set for a given bureaucrat, upon receipt of a cut, he just begins to react. ("Ivan Ivanovich has a checkpoint - 100 bucks!") And then there will be some result and not always in your favor, laws, you know … Ex-IV.
5. You came with any of your problems, paid a fee (in the established conspiratorial order), so that the decision was not dragged around. They took money from you, period. The big question is whether you will be dealt with or simply thrown. You will not complain. Ex-V.
I had a case when I sent a mother and daughter for a consultation, but warned them about the rate, since this big-time professor does not do anything for free. The authority took the money and did not help. I resolved the situation myself. But somehow, at a regional conference, in the company of authorities, I sneered at the foul-monger. And then, meeting me in the corridor, drilling with his eyes, he hissed angrily to me: "Hear you, witty, look in the dictionary: there is the word" bribe ", that's when the" payoff "appears, then blather! No, well, convincing. Since then I have not cooperated with him - I am waiting for the new edition of the dictionary.
And I think that with God's help life itself will complement the catch phrase:
