“When you see that trading is done,
not by consent, but by compulsion –
When you see that in order to produce,
you need permission from men who produce nothing –
When you see that money is flowing to those who deal,
not in goods, but in favors –
When you see that men get richer by graft and pull than by hard work,
and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you –
When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming self-sacrifice –
You may know your society is doomed.”
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand I'm not a big Rand fan but this quote accurately mirrors the US today.