As I dug deeper into the origins of the German proverb “Wer die Leiter hält, ist so schuldig wie der Dieb” “He who holds the ladder is as guilty as the thief,” I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. The more I uncovered about its meaning and implications, the more I realized how relevant it is to our current political and social climate.

“What is legal does not mean it is ethical. Many business practices are legal but revealed to be unethical or immoral.” ~ Robren, Ethical Entrepreneurship Advocate

At its core, this proverb suggests that those who assist in a crime are just as guilty as the perpetrator. This may seem like a straightforward concept, but it has far-reaching implications that go beyond just the act of committing a crime.

Consider, for example, the role of enablers in the political arena. We’ve seen countless examples of politicians who have enabled their colleagues to engage in corrupt or unethical behavior. These enablers may not be directly committing the crimes themselves, but they are complicit in allowing them to happen.

And yet, we often overlook the role of enablers in our rush to condemn those who have actually committed crimes. We focus all our attention on the thief, while ignoring the person holding the ladder.

But here’s the thing: enablers are just as responsible for the harm caused by a crime as the perpetrator. They may not have physically committed the act, but they played a critical role in making it possible. And until we start holding enablers accountable for their actions, we’ll never truly be able to address the root causes of corruption and crime in our society.

The German proverb “He who holds the ladder is as good as the thief” is a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to hold each other accountable. It’s not enough to simply condemn the people who commit crimes; we need to take a hard look at the systems and structures that enable those crimes to happen in the first place.

As a freelance investigative journalist, it’s my duty to shine a light on these issues and hold those in power accountable. But it’s also the responsibility of every citizen to demand transparency and accountability from our elected officials and institutions.

We can’t afford to look the other way when it comes to corruption and crime. We must be vigilant and proactive in rooting out the enablers who make these actions possible. Only then can we begin to build a more just and equitable society for all.

#RobrenReview: 9 | 10
Research by: Robren
Published on: 8 April 2023.

SIDENOTE From A Critic:

The CRIME: 1MDB

The THIEF: Ex-PM Najib Razak
12 years in prison for abuse of power, and 10 years in jail for each of charged with six counts of money laundering and breach of trust.

The ENABLERS: UMNO Party Leaders from 121 Divisions
They seek an audience with the Malaysian King to hand over a royal pardon appeal for Najib.



#crime  #scam    #Scammer  #politicians #enablers #ethics #unethical #morals    #EthicalEntrepreneurship