I was discussing Singapore recently. I asked a friend of mine with a PhD on the subject what made it so special (is it the port?). He mentioned if he had to pinpoint one reason, Singapore is a first-world nation in that region of the world because of the rule of law. Corruption was dealt with swiftly and harshly. Looking at contracts given to Elon (Teslas selling on front lawns, SpaceX contracts in the billions funded by our taxes), Sam Altman (who gave the current admin 1 million at inauguration and has reaped many folds), and Tim Cook (for a brief time, Apple being exempted of tarrifs), my heart quickly hurts. The comments are making light of the situation and joking on Defense software, while ignoring the magnitude of this. When favors are gained via bribes, America becomes the very concept we all despised: corruption and favors dictating our governance à la Soviet Union. We saw the Kushners lead talks on the Middle East, we saw inept billionaires leading the department of education (WWE's Linda McMahon), we saw the Adelsons drag us into a war on behalf of Israel, and yet there is something that is particularly funny here. I think I might be missing the joke... My age might be showing, but these headlines are precedents that are undermining the fabric of America. Perhaps we deserve it, since the only response is light hearted jokes, holding paddle signs at union addresses, and protests where Instagram photos and poses, wearing silly hats and holding signs with aphorisms, occur alongside military parades. The circus writes itself, and history books will judge us harshly on this one.