"Corruption" isn't a binary.
It exists in the West. It's bad that it exists in the West. But it exists less in the West than in some other places, and that difference matters.
It exists in the West. It's bad that it exists in the West. But it exists less in the West than in some other places, and that difference matters.
I recall an econ class from ages ago that compared two middle-income countries. In one, there was a strong central government, so the corruption was relatively organized and predictable. The economy was harmed by the corruption, but still functioned, grew, and helped to reduce poverty.
In the other country, the central and regional governments were weak, so nearly every interaction with government officials (police, judges, customs, etc.) resulted in some kind of bribe with highly variable costs. This dramatically slowed down and reduced economic activity and increased poverty.