[qikInNdOutReply]

Yes. Sadly yes. But its not spread societywide. You do not bribe your way out of law enforcement etc. You do not have that society wide tax on just "breathing" - yet. There is also not yet, the worst kind of corruption, were incompetence in education gets through and enshrined to entrench other corrupt incompetence and finally destroys the mechanism to dislodge incompetence.

Were a visit to the doctor might kill you, because they all got their diploma because they know the same family and never spent a day awake and sober in university. And the health minister is from that family. And the whole anti-corruption self-repair mechanism is dysfunct, cause its married to that familys cousin.

[bilqis]

Well, maybe you don’t bribe directly by handing money over to an LEO. But I would say there is still tons of corruption that is based on influence, soft skills, knowing right people, donations to specific charities/political parties.

[sebzim4500]

>You do not bribe your way out of law enforcement etc.

Don't you?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_pardoned_or_gra...

[codersfocus]

In the US at least, FOPs (social organizations / quasi union most police belong to) sell “donor cards” that specifically can be shown to grant favors similar to those one would be eligible in bribable countries.