[altacc]

Indeed. Corruption takes many forms and in most Western countries that like to think they don't have corruption, allowing the rich to set the rules, decide the referee and how to hobble them is a very popular and effective form of corruption.

[creakingstairs]

> Corruption takes many forms and in most Western countries that like to think they don't have corruption

Yes. Most of the corruption stats are measuring “perception” of corruption and they are also using the traditional, blatant meaning of corruption where money is exchanged for favours.

But corruption in the West have evolved to be much more subtle and essentially impossible to catch (at least without major reforms). And as you said, they hold the power to fix this :)

[justinclift]

It's not really subtle at all though. It's just that it's been entrenched into "how things are done" to the point where most people don't take a step back to view things objectively, and realise.

[hramrach]

Isn't it the same in the countries that are looked down at because they have the 'overt' type of corruption?

It's just the way things are done there, and it's so entrenched that people cannot step back and see it rationally. Unless they are, say, from a country where the corruption has taken on a different form, or from Mars.

[riekus]

So true, in Dutch parlement it is almost forbidden to say the word corruption. It has to be rphrased as 'mistakes'