In the movie “Syriana,” a lawyer investigates irregular payments by a U.S. oil company to secure concessions in Kazakhstan. When the lawyer confronts Danny Dalton, one of the oil company’s directors, Dalton retorts: “Corruption? Corruption ain’t nothing more than government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulation … We have laws against it precisely so we can get away with it. Corruption is our protection … Corruption is how we win.” Dalton’s appalling and cynical characterization of bribery and corruption is, unfortunately, not that far-fetched. It’s widely believed that a 2003 Justice Department investigation into payments made by oil companies to the president of Kazakhstan and other senior officials in connection with their purchase of an oil field were the movie’s inspiration.
