Corruption is a scourge

Corruption, favoritism, cronyism and nepotism are a scourge on any society! Like rust they corrode away the social structures and turn the rule of law onto its head. It pains me to see that it is so widespread across the world. Even the bastions of open societies are affected, but thankfully not nearly to the same extent.

I love the fact that you can't bribe police or judges in the US! Well, most of us at least which is what counts. Perfection is unattainable (humans just ain't perfect), but coming as close as the US (and other modern democracies) is a tribute to systems overcoming human deficiencies! Of course, it helps that all these modern democracies have strong economies which provide most people with their basic needs. It's easier to be moral when you (or your children) don't have an empty stomach.

One can only hope that if we don't destroy ourselves we'll be able to construct a world of wealth for all! We may get bored at that point and destroy each other, but it'd be at least nice to get there for a little while and prove that it can be done.