In the Middle East you pay bakshis to civil servants when they have made decisions that you find favourable. Which is, of course, corruption. In the West, you award "consultancies" to civil servants when they have made decisions that you find favourable. This is entirely legal, above-board and counted as part of the gross domestic product.

Snark aside, there is little doubt that society works better for (almost) everyone when you don't have to pay kickbacks to junior civil servants like police officers and doctors simply for doing their jobs. There is also little doubt that it does nothing to deter the corruption of senior civil servants, including politicians. It just makes it slightly more sophisticated.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.