Elon Musk’s DOGE investigations have exposed shocking corruption within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). But this is only the beginning of DOGE’s work—we can expect even more startling revelations in the future.
Last year, as I stood before the Parthenon in Athens, my initial awe at this architectural wonder quickly faded. Almost immediately, I was reminded of the Great Wall of China—both structures serving as testaments to the suffering imposed by rulers on their people in the name of national greatness. Athenian democracy, once regarded as the most advanced political system of its time, fell into imperial ambition and internal corruption—just as the United States, the pinnacle of modern Western democracy, has done today.
If history has ever seen a government approach the philosophical "ideal state," it would be Athens under Pericles in the 5th century BCE.
After the democratic reforms of Solon and Cleisthenes—known as the "Father of Democracy"—Athens developed a political system based on civic participation, the rule of law, and public accountability. In theory, such a system should have been resistant to corruption. Yet, even in democracy’s golden age, corruption and decline were inevitable.
Pericles himself manipulated democratic mechanisms for his own advantage. He funneled state resources into massive building projects, such as the Parthenon, to glorify Athens and secure his political power. He used public funds extracted from the Delian League, an alliance meant to defend against Persia, turning it into an Athenian empire. The same government that prided itself on democracy imposed harsh rule over its allies, suppressing dissent and enslaving entire populations, as seen in the destruction of Melos.
Pericles’ overreach led to the Peloponnesian War, which ultimately doomed Athens. Despite its democratic ideals, Athenian politics degenerated into demagoguery and self-interest, proving that even a government designed with the best intentions inevitably turns toward corruption and ruin. Standing before the Parthenon, one cannot help but see not just a symbol of greatness, but also the buried bones of those who suffered under its construction.
If Athens was the cradle of Western political thought, then the United States is its pinnacle. The U.S. Constitution was designed with a system of checks and balances to prevent government overreach. Yet, despite these safeguards, bureaucracy, waste, and corruption have inevitably taken root. USAID, an agency originally created to provide humanitarian and economic aid, has instead become a tool for political manipulation, ideological agendas, and misallocation of taxpayer money.
If even the United States—the height of Western democracy—cannot escape corruption, then is government itself doomed to inevitable decay? Are all governments, by their very nature, bad?
If democracy can at least slow the process of corruption, authoritarian regimes are entirely consumed by it. In such systems, corruption is not an aberration; it is the foundation of governance. Decision-making lacks transparency, and leaders are never held accountable. The state turns citizens into obedient subjects. Worse still, in authoritarian regimes, the people are not even allowed to criticize government corruption—any dissent is swiftly suppressed. In contrast, while corruption exists in democracies, at least there remains the possibility of exposure, criticism, and reform.
The very existence of government implies coercion. As Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense: “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” Governments function by monopolizing law enforcement, taxation, and military power. This monopoly on force inherently tempts those in power to exploit it for personal or political gain.
Niccolò Machiavelli, in The Prince, argued that a ruler’s primary goal must be to maintain power, and that morality is merely a political tool. His analysis was not just a guide to governance but an exposure of its true nature—ruling always requires manipulation, deception, and coercion.
Thus, government corruption is not an accident; it is a logical consequence of its existence. History proves that even the best-designed systems, from ancient Athens to modern America, inevitably fall into self-serving decay. Authoritarian regimes fare even worse, as corruption is woven into their very structure.
Government is a paradox: it is both necessary and inherently evil. Every government, no matter how idealistic its origins, eventually becomes corrupt, inefficient, and self-serving. Democracies may delay the process, but in authoritarian states, corruption becomes a method of rule itself.
This leads to an unavoidable conclusion: government, in its philosophical essence, is inherently corrupt. It may be a necessary evil, but it should never be trusted. The more power a government accumulates, the deeper its corruption runs. The only solution is eternal vigilance, transparency, and strict limitations on its authority.
The moment people stop questioning their government, they have already become its slaves.
