Herodotus states that no spartan could resist a bribe. Throughout Greece, it was useless to object to a politician on the ground that he took bribes from the King of Persia, because his opponents also did so if they became sufficiently powerful to be worth buying.
Source： Bertrand Russell: Power, 1938.
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Politicians. especially those in the ruling party, gain increasing access to various privileges and vested interests as they move closer to the center of power. In fact, it seems that for many, the desire to obtain such privileges is a primary motivation for entering politics in the first place.
For example, Japan is currently experiencing a severe rice shortage, with prices soaring. Amid such circumstances, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Eto sparked public outrage by remarking, "I've received so much rice from my local supporters that I have enough to sell." Facing intense public criticism, he attempted to explain himself by saying, "It was meant as a joke. I don't actually have that much. 'Enough to sell' is just a local expression from my hometown." However, residents of Miyazaki denied that such an expression exists, causing him to dig himself even deeper. As a result, yesterday he announced his resignation.
In Today's Words of Russell, Bertrand Russell writes, "Since the days of ancient Greece, once a person acquired enough power to be worth bribing, they would inevitably accept bribes." Across times and cultures, it seems that at least some politicians are destined, or perhaps doomed, to become corrupt.
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