[davidw]

There is corruption in pretty much any system without a complete and total police state. Most western democracies are highly imperfect. But they're a lot better than pretty much anything else that has been tried, and if people work hard, they can continue to improve them.

Hard work means "getting out of the building" though.

[illuminate]

"without a complete and total police state"

And ~especially~ in a complete and total police state :)

[alexjeffrey]

In the words of Churchill: it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried.