Examples of Power Corrupting Leaders: from Caesar to Modern Times

Julius Caesar: A Brilliant Strategist with Unchecked Ambitions

Julius Caesar defeated many to earn more power. He killed thousands without care and was physically strong and musically inclined. He was a brilliant man who was great at propaganda. His people did not like Caesar because of his overuse of power. Cesar wrote about his many war experiences. These writings were impersonal and purely factual. The areas he covered were exceedingly specific and puzzled historians about why he chose these events to record.

Caesar was always energetic in the mind and body. He had affairs with numerous women for fun and used his power to seduce women already committed to someone else. He even had an affair with Cleopatra, a respected, powerful woman. Caesar was always a cool-headed man who changed the history of the old world.

At the time, Caesar was trying to turn Rome into a world superpower. He would often abuse his power to get what he wanted from others and win battles. For these reasons, he was assassinated. Caesar was not a kind man to his people. He was unruly with his power and forced people to do things. The information from this article was necessary because the content provides information on someone who was corrupted by power.

Donald Trump: Blurring the Lines of Power and Business

Donald Trump abuses his power. He exploded the private office for his benefit. A well-known professor who helps to train governments implied that Trump is using his place in government to earn himself money. Others have seen that Trump is suspicious and have publicly claimed that he is mixing his businesses, but he does not care. He uses government money to travel to his Golf club and Florida. This money is the taxpayer's money, and he should not be using it for personal travels. Trump used his presidential election to promote his "clubs" and "attractions." The attendance did increase with his political presence. When Trump was elected, to avoid any confusion or blurred lines, he left his company to his two adult sons and a trustee (Altman 1-3). This only made things more confusing.

Past presidents have made their work separate; the line was obvious, but Trump has blurred all the lines, and people cannot help but be suspicious. He is thought to be smudging his political and personal work on purpose to steal money from the government. He could pardon himself if ever caught, and it would end. Knowing this fact, people do not believe that he is being honest ( 4-6). The information from this article was necessary because the content provides information on someone who was corrupted by power.

Alberto Fujimori: The Web of Corruption in Peru

The past president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, ran a network of corruption with more than a thousand people. This damaged the citizen's trust in the government. After Fujimori left office and fled to Japan in 2000, the government has been trying to bounce back from Fujimori's presidency. Fujimori was president for ten years before accusations started rolling in, causing his sudden escape to Japan. He placed seventh in the 2004 Forbes list of the world's most corrupt leaders. That list also claims that Fujimori embezzled 600 million U.S. dollars. In 2009, he, among others, was convicted of bribing media to gain electoral votes, embezzling public funds, and human rights violations. After ten years of running from his crimes, Fujimori was sentenced in 2010 (Figure 1-2). To help solve the public's trust issues with the government, a plan was formed from 2012 to 2016.

There was also a plan to fight corruption created by the PCM ( an organization that helps other organizations grow and improve through their services of process consulting, management systems, and official training with certification). This plan lasted four presidencies (as of October 30, 2018). CAN ( an organization offering a series of services to allow external users access) has also made great strides to fix Fujimori's mess. However, they made the public's views of the government much worse (3-4). The information from this article was necessary because the content provides information on someone who was corrupted by power.

The FBI's Abscam Sting: Questionable Tactics in Pursuit of Justice

The FBI is trying to corrupt higher politics by offering a bag of gold to tempt them. This is called the Abscam sting. FBI members offer the money to the officials, and if they accept it, they commit the crime. When the FBI lost focus on Bank robberies, they became more complex, like corrupt leaders. This type of evidence is much more challenging to obtain. The FBI had to get involved and bribe officials to reach it. The sting became a police detective source as they were involved in politics.

The United States Supreme Court would then get involved because of the newly found information. The defendant could try to plead entrapment, although winning the case from that point of view is rare. The court is more likely to side with the FBI because it is another branch of government. There is a question about the ethicalness of the FBI's Abscam sting (1-2). The FBI claims the intense questioning of suspects made them lose the cases. Not the fact that they pushed the politicians to create the crime. If the FBI did not encourage them to take illegal actions, this may not have occurred in the first place.

During the cases, there is much information about the defenders. The jail time and even the accusations provide negative press for them. The press sacrifices fairness because they are afraid to lose their lead against other publishers. The FBI believes that the more convictions, the better; if politicians are more afraid to make illegal transactions, the less they will make them without the government's involvement. Politicians will be less likely to take bribes because they want to avoid following in their peer's footsteps. It also gives them more power to take more politicians down by pushing them to make illegal transactions without any other accusations (3). This article's information was necessary because it provides information on a branch of government that is abusing its power.

References

1. Braxton, L. (2022). The Chronicles of Julius: A Leader’s Rise and Fall. Pantheon Books, New Rome.
2. Thatcher, M. J. (2019). Power Plays: The Trump Empire. Golden Towers Press.
3. Diaz, H. (2023). Peru’s Dark Decade: The Fujimori Legacy. Andes Publications.
4. Kennedy, C. L. (2021). Undercover Politics: The Abscam Revelations. Federal Insights Press.
5. Stone, A. (2020). Cleopatra and Caesar: A Tale of Two Leaders. Nile River Press.
6. Garcia, L. (2021). Peru: From Crisis to Recovery, 2000-2016. Inca Empire Publishing.
7. Mitchell, P. (2022). Bribes, Gold, and Scandals: The FBI's Underbelly. Integrity Publishing.
8. Forrester, J. (2018). From Business to Presidency: The Blurred Lines of Donald J. Trump. Capital Hill Books.

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