World History
Related: About this forumHitler Bribed His Generals - Secret Fund Bought Military Loyalty
Not many people know that the Nazis set up a secret slush fund in order to bribe German field marshals and generals to remain loyal to Hitler. This is the story of Konto 5, that secret account.
Moostache
(11,085 posts)Where would I possibly have heard that recently?
snot
(11,586 posts)I think it quite likely that the US government or factions or agents thereof have frequently used, and are still using, similar kinds of bribery in order to acquire or maintain hegemony in other countries.
Consider, e.g., how much easier it would be for the US to shape the policies of the governments of Venezuela, Peru, Afghanistan, and even Ukraine if various civilian or military leaders in those countries were promised bribes, whether in the form of cash (in many of these cases, whole pallets of cash were shipped into these countries and never accounted for), a cut of the profits of US corporations in exchange for access given to such corps. for them to exploit the countries' resources, or any number of other forms.
Bribery is sometimes cheaper than warfare or even intimidation (especially when you control the money-printer), and is a favorite tool of imperialists and mafias.
bucolic_frolic
(54,388 posts)Usually we pick ideological loyalists, lend them tons of money to set up profitable businesses, and pay off the loans we made at a nice rate. So it's business interests effecting political reforms.
snot
(11,586 posts)Sounds like an good book.