Corruption from "summary" of The Unwinding by George Packer
Corruption is like a disease that infects the body politic, spreading through the veins of power and privilege. It starts small, a little graft here, a little kickback there. But over time, it grows and metastasizes, feeding off the greed and ambition of those who are supposed to be serving the public good. In the world of politics, corruption can take many forms. It can be the backroom deal that lines the pockets of a few while leaving the many out in the cold. It can be the campaign contribution that buys access and influence, turning elected officials into little more than puppets on a string. It can be the revolving door between government and industry, where regulators become lobbyists and vice versa, blurring the line between public service and private gain. But corruption is not just a problem of politics. It can be found in the boardrooms of Wall Street, where CEOs rake in millions while their companies lay off workers and cut benefits. It can be found in the halls of academia, where researchers fudge data to win grants and promotions. It can be found in the media, where journalists cozy up to power in exchange for access and exclusives. And the truly insidious thing about corruption is that it becomes normalized over time, accepted as just the way things are. People start to believe that everyone is doing it, so why shouldn't they? They lose faith in the system, in the idea that government can be a force for good. And when that happens, when the bonds of trust between the governed and the governing are broken, society itself begins to unravel.
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