Large scale institutionalized corruption is only sustainable under a totalitarian political system. It requires a ruthless elite, an extensive bureaucracy deployed to do their will, a monopoly on violence to crush opposition, and just enough meritocratic social mobility to quell thoughts of revolt by the masses. The Ottomans may hold the record, making it work for six centuries, but they were hardly alone.
via We Are All Greeks Now. Does Totalitarianism Lie Ahead? | The Daily Caller.