They seem like ordinary people too—and Asian, no less, which means all the stereotypes about being “non-European” and somehow “different” get applied to them. And then you read this and realize what a Stone Age we’re still living in:
A minister. resigned. because. she was. handing out. fans.
“She took responsibility.”
Here, every other minister can’t explain how they built a $20 million estate, and nothing happens. People barely even ask any questions.
And do you know why that is? Precisely because we don’t ask questions, we don’t demand answers.
The Japanese, by contrast, do demand accountability and consider it unacceptable when there is an “mismatch between income and spending.” But we just shrug and write under every new ACF (Anti-Corruption Foundation) investigation, “So many like this have already been exposed, and what’s the point?”
There will be a point to it if we demand it louder—and if everyone really does.
By the way, during our “Campaign 20,” we found out that not everyone actually understands the very concept of “illicit enrichment.” So we decided to make a special explainer video. Our Tanya drew it herself right there in the office, and Alexei Shunkov helped record and edit it, for which many thanks to both of them.
We’d be very grateful if you could help spread it around. People need to understand what they are entitled to and be urged to demand it together with us. Then it will be like in Japan.
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