Dear all,

          At the beginning of 2019 I have a theme that seems so addressed or even worn out I could say that you will surely be tempted to give up after reading the first lines of this article and label the author as "misfit" to the times we live or at least a naive person, stubborn to pay attention to such a theme. In any case I assume the full responsibility for the following lines and thank you in advance for those who will have the patience to read to the end, because at least I have the comfort that most of those who access this site know me or have worked with me and will show clemency or they will have a smile in the corner of their mouth, saying  "I recognize him, is Mihai ..." And to those who apply the famous proverb "Purpose apologize means" in a distorted way or in an "original" manner, I remind them that this is a motto that has synthesized Machiavelli's way of thinking in his book "The Prince," written in 1513 and considered to be a first modern political treaty and the goal was a noble one.

          I will talk about ethics, integrity, values, and I will use as few quotes as possible so that I can share with you my concrete experience, noting that I did not invent the wheel, so I will have the decency to insert a landmark on which to develop my own ideas and challenge you with questions to answer or reflect to.

          As I said, let's start from Aldo Leopold's famous quote (author, philosopher and American scientist), which I consider to be very close to a reality that can be applied in concrete terms: "Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching - even when doing the wrong thing is legal." Starting from this premise, I'm going to disappoint those who are trying to trick and fool us. If each of us would, at least half, apply this quote in his life, we would all have benefits that we cannot limit to a description of the benefits and live a much better life, in my opinion. Have you ever figured out how much money companies and governments spend with employee training programs in the anti-fraud and compliance area? Some will say that little has been spent, compared to the risks and the need to prevent the occurrence of events that could affect the image / reputation which we know are priceless, which I totally agree with. In time, all kinds of "Tone at the top" syntax have been invented to influence the behavior of the people that rules corporations or nations. Do you know how I see this from an applied perspective? Well, I see it in a total antithesis with what Aldo Leopold said. Why? Because if ourselves or those who temporarily reside in important positions do not understand that to behave ethically it does not just mean doing things or promoting values to the eyes of the world but to follow them daily, believe in them, and when we are wrong, to have the dignity and the courage to recognize that we were wrong and to make the mistake right away instead of looking for "fall guy" or by putting you know what under the carpet ... well we can do it but how to proceed with "the smell"... we will always stay in the area of cheap philosophy, hypocrisy, lack of credibility and pharisaic. Is that what we want? Do we want to be led by such people? If not, what do we do?

        I will confess that I have never understood people who, despite being known as opportunists, hypocrites, unscrupulous, without principles, etc., are still trying to convince their business partners or collaborators (in the business area ) or the electorates (in the political area) of the "backbone" they have or the principles and values they believe and say they are following or promoting. More serious and dangerous, in my opinion, is that those in the above-mentioned category are so perverse and abusive that they even manage to convince the vast majority. And then, naturally, the question arises: How do we distinguish the authentic ones from those "fabricated"? Difficult to offer a valid and universal answer, a recipe. I will avoid the temptation to offer a response, leaving each of you to do it. I can only say those who do not have an answer are part of the other category...

        From my own corporate employee experience over the past 14 years as well as a government employee (clerk) for a short period of nearly 2 years and as an employee who has been paid to elaborate, implement and apply compliance programs I can say that I have more and more often the feeling of working in vain during the last period. Are you having the feeling of living a paradox? The paradox is that, apparently, it is natural and in the nature of things to act with integrity, to behave ethically, to apply principles and to promote values but in reality the people who do this become a "problem" and every day that passes, an isolated minority. Moreover, we include in the job description requirements of integrity and ethics so, in my sense, I assimilate them to virtues and not natural qualities which we should all have and follow ... in what world do we live guys? As Camorra's members believe to be good Christians we are surrounded by all kinds of "mobsters" who believe themselves upright and ethical, "wolfs in sheep`s clothing". Of course those who become a minority every day are isolated in their universe searching for landmarks elsewhere and increasingly discouraged from acting and may eventually be "absorbed" by a majority lacking of education and acting unscrupulously. Or maybe NOT, maybe those values, principles, education, will be promoted with stubbornness, positive energy and perseverance by those who behave ethically and act with integrity when no one is looking to paraphrase Aldo Leopold. Maybe not everything is lost, even if the Pharisees who are trying to convince us of the above-mentioned know that this is a "winning card".

          Until the next meeting please think, at the debut of this challenging year, to the "legacy" of education, principles and values that you will leave behind to your children and grandchildren, besides material goods. What do you think is more important?

Mihail BUSTAN, Board Member - Association for Preventing and Countering Frauds (APCF)