http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-0 ... state-mind
Once the mafia state of mind has seeped into every nook and cranny of the society and economy, it's not even recognized as corruption: it's simply the way the system works. And so the residents of nominal democracies in Asia, Europe and the Americas do not even realize how thoroughly corrupted their societies and economies really are; they cling to the illusions of choice even as their incomes, wealth and political influence are funneled into the hands of various elites by overlapping extortion rackets.
I read somewhere that 7 of the 10 wealthiest counties in the U.S. are suburbs of Washington D.C.