Corruption is always a problem everywhere, but it would seem to get worse with greater centralization of control.
Corruption is always a problem everywhere, but it would seem to get worse with greater centralization of control.
By the late 1980s, Soviet price controls and centralized distribution rules, incentivized black market growth by providing opportunity for tremendous profit. Ultimately, it overtook the regular gov't markets - resulting in the famous empty shelves we iconically associate with the collapse of the USSR.
Most gov't officials participated in these black markets. This also led to massive organized crime groups, which became so profitable, that they became the oligarchs who ultimately took over the country when the gov't collapsed from bankruptcy.
The notion that capitalism creates corruption is laughable with these massive recent examples.
The most corrupt nations throughout modern history have always been on the Socialist spectrum, without exception. Including National Socialist Germany, Communist Cuba, Communist China, Communist Vietnam, Socialist Iraq, Communist North Korea, Theocratic-Socialist Iran, Socialist Syria, Socialist Zimbabwe, Socialist Venezuela as well as Soviet Russia, all of which were/are Socialist derivatives.
Next thing you'll say is that Somalia, South Sudan, Congo, Haiti and Afghanistan are all socialist too!