Counterargument: No objective observer agrees with you. For example, Transparency International ranks the US at 24 out 180 countries for perceived corruption (lower numbers are better), Russia is 137 out of 180.https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022
Our corrupt politicians are smarter.
True story...
My late grandfather was in the construction business and more than half of his business was state contracts from our state.
When I was sixteen we spent some quality time one summer while I was his chauffeur.
He was trying to recruit me into the family business that he founded and owned.
Near the end of the summer he decided to make the pitch with some full disclosure.
He had me drive him to a hot dog stand on a country road about twenty five miles from the state capitol.
My grandfather was a gourmet—and I couldn’t believe we were going to a hot dog stand for lunch.
The place looked like an old shack and the owner was the only person working there.
When we showed up the owner gave my grandfather a big hug and it was obvious he had been there many times.
I asked my grandfather what we were doing there. He explained to me that this was where he won his state contracts.
I did not understand and asked him what he was talking about.
He then started giving me a list of state officials he had met for lunch there—from governors to cabinet officials to senior officials of the state legislature.
He explained that this was where he delivered suitcases of cash to those officials so that he could get the state contracts.
I did not believe him—the story was just too crazy.
I asked him if it would be ok if I interrogated the hot dog stand owner—in private.
He said that was fine.
The hot dog owner confirmed every detail my grandfather gave me—included names of public officials, dates and the fact that my grandfather gave these officials suitcases at these lunches.
P.S. None of these dozens of state officials were ever indicted or convicted of anything.
There was never any media coverage of corruption in getting state construction contracts.
My grandfather never had any legal issues.
His only claim to fame was one highway bridge that was named after him.
There was no media coverage of that either.
I stayed far away from that business btw.