Corruption appears to be a universal phenomenon that lays its own imperious claims on the world, and therefore it is the duty of all nations to prepare themselves against its onslaught by taking proper precautions.

Long before the empire had reached its greatest extent, the Romans were bored by it.

The United States is dangerously close to being a plutocracy. A third of the private wealth is owned by less than 5 percent of the population.

Fragmentation occurs when a civilization is in decline.

The small Hitlers are around us every day.

Naked power has its limitations, since power is a generator of corruption and corruption in its turn tends to dilute the effectiveness of power.

Corrupt men are always liars. Lies are their instruments, their pleasure, their solace. In time they come to believe their lies, or rather to half-believe them.