Last week, President Hamid Karzai promoted two other negative points on corruption issue, which has plagued his administration and continues to cause public disenchantment. The president put the blame on international community by saying, "We have lost our mutual trust: foreigners think we go corrupt for political reasons, and we think they are corrupt for the same reason." This was not surprising because it has become president Karzai's habit to evade admitting responsibility for the things that go wrong and for grafts that widen the gap between his government and ordinary Afghans.

The second point raised by him was that those who are involved in corruption and make money illegally but invest abroad must stop doing so. This part of his statement does not have any problem and all Afghans want those who steal money and go to Dubai for investment to cease to commit corruption.

But president Karzai made a distinct comment- that is to say- he advised them to invest in the country and build palaces or luxurious and posh houses in Kabul or in other parts of the country.President Karzai encouraged those corrupt officials to continue to generate prosperity for themselves at the cost of ordinary people who pay bribe to receive public services and whose share of international aid and assistance is siphoned off by corrupt authorities.

President Karzai's comment was greeted by laughter from the audience and perhaps those who receive it as an encouragement for themselves. In essence, president Karzai fostered a culture of privilege.He must know that promotion of a culture of privilege deters institutionalization of democratic and universalistic norms, which are to be ruling Afghanistan if it is to emerge as a secure, peaceful, stable and prosperous country in a region where the neighbors continue to pursue hostile and destabilizing policies and want Afghanistan to remain violent and destabilized as it can serve their interests.

President Karzai's remarks were made in anti-corruption conference held in Kabul. This event was organized a week after Bonn Two Conference where the president pledged to continue to address the scourge as a top and key priority. This means that president Karzai not only backtracks from his word but also foster a culture that is counter to efforts to root out corruption.