Battleangel

Boing Boing ran a story about unpaid diplomatic parking tickets as index of national corruption. Interesting in itself, but obviously US diplomats don’t count since the figure is taken from NYC 1997-2002. So how do Americans fare abroad? Well, if London is any measure — not all that well.

US Embassy Congestion Charge Debt Hits $1.6m

The US Embassy in London now owes £891,000 (that is $1.6 million) in unpaid congestion charges and fines, for the first time making the USA by far the worst offender in terms of unpaid charges and penalties.

Since the US government unilaterally decided to stop paying the congestion charge in July 2005 their debts have rapidly risen.

The US claimed that it did not have to pay the congestion charge because they claimed it was a tax from which diplomats are exempt.

They have never explained why their embassies pay similar congestion charges in Singapore and Oslo.

From OCT ‘05 - APRIL ‘06 alone they racked up an amazing £271,000, beating Nigeria, Angola and Sudan. Quite astonishing. So, what does that tell you about corruption? Is the original research bogus or is it just conveniently hiding America’s culture of corruption?