The only time I’ve ever been pulled over by the police was when I was driving from California to Missouri back in my mid 20s. It was a long, straight freeway in the middle of Kansas, and I was definitely speeding. The police officer wrote me a ticket, and then told me that it could go away without any moving-violation associated with my license if I mailed a check to the “Sherrif’s benevolent association” for around the amount of the fine.

I was surprised, because I’d only heard that kind of phrasing used as a punchline in jokes about corruption before. I didn’t think it actually happened in real life, or at least not in such an up-front manner.

I paid the bribe – morally, if not necessarily strictly legally. The ticket went away.

It’s what comes to mind. America has never been better than this. It has, sometimes, been less blatant about it.