Viewing Political Power as a Business Venture
During an interview with political scientist Yuriy Romanenko, analyst Mikhail Shteynbok addressed the issue of political power being treated as a business project for personal enrichment. He illustrated this with an anecdote from his student days in Odesa, where an acquaintance from the Kivalov Law Academy openly counted out stacks of dollars intended as bribes for passing exams. This example reveals how, even at the start of their careers, young people can become acutely aware of the financial costs associated with education and career advancement.
Shteynbok noted that one of his classmates calculated the total cost of his education, dissertation, and securing a position in the court system at approximately $120,000. At the time, this sum was equivalent to the price of two apartments. The student planned to recoup this entire investment within a single year. According to Shteynbok, this mindset demonstrates that many enter politics not to build a nation or enact reforms, but to run a lucrative business.
'And how are you going to pay all this back? Well, I'll earn back that cash in about a year, then I'll start making a profit. And that's the core problem: people don't enter government to build a state or implement reforms. They go into politics to do business,' stated analyst Mikhail Shteynbok.
Parallel Political Trends
He also emphasized that a similar trend exists in the United States, where politicians engage in insider trading. This comparison highlights that the problem of public office being used for private gain is not confined to a single political system.
'In the United States, there's an unfortunate trend, and here [in Ukraine] people are gradually starting to do the same thing. Democrats, for instance, were also misleading people, quietly engaging in insider trading on the side,' added Mikhail Shteynbok.
These statements underscore the persistent relevance of viewing power as a tool for personal wealth accumulation. Shteynbok's commentary points to the critical need for discussing ethics in both politics and education, as treating government like a business erodes public institutions and trust in the state. This is a global concern, where a loss of moral compass among officials can lead to systemic corruption and abuse of power. Recognizing these patterns is a crucial step toward developing more effective oversight mechanisms and fostering greater transparency in political life.