I think you're failing to look on the bright side. This little exchange represents a lot of progress.

If you want a good idea of what powerful rulers used to do to people who said things they didn't like, google "Giordano Bruno". Or, for an international perspective, ask a 60-year-old Russian, or a 40-year-old Cambodian, or a contemporary Tibetan.

Note, though, that I'm not saying our society couldn't use a lot of improvement on the corruption front.

So our society isn't less corrupt than it used to be. It's just that the overlords have realized that they can be a little subtler and not have to hack/burn/behead/hang/shoot people to subjugate and control them.

Yes, there's progress, but I think we can still complain.

Unfortunately, in human society, the source of corruption is humans.

I've always said those things should be outlawed!

Since everything we do now is ad-sponsored, it's expected that advertisers have more than their fair share of influence.

Yep. It's a mistake to refer to ad-sponsored content as free. There are a lot of costs, some more subtle than others.

Yes.

It's always been corrupt but lately it seems like corruption has the upper hand.

Corruption has always had the upper hand...

Dark Helmet: "So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."