Many US politicians and officials would easily be considered war criminals if there were any sort of binding international law. Even more would likely be jaile

Many US politicians and officials would easily be considered war criminals if there were any sort of binding international law. Even more would likely be jailed for activities that are well known if they weren't already powerful. Once criminal organizations get powerful enough they can start doing extensive image management and PR, as well as building elaborate headquarters complete with fancy architecture, columns, etc. Governments are simply the most successful criminal organizations. We the people are continually fooled by the grandeur of the columns and the silly dignity of the titles. We're also overly grateful for the gifts of patronage they dole out to keep us at bay such as welfare, medals, etc. The more pomp and circumstance, the more ritual and solemnity, the bigger the racket. It should be no surprise that both candidates in the recent US election still have numerous FBI investigations into their business dealings, and the majority of Americans considered both to be highly unfit for office. Our presidential motorcade is a sham... The vehicles are tanks made to look like limousines, yet we'd look down upon a foreign leader who paraded around in a tank. All tyrants attract sycophants, and in our case they make up most of the political and media elite. The most humiliating display in our nation is the exceedingly rare occasion when a president condescends to sit for a one-on-one interview. The softball questions are spoken with a humility (and a reassurance that there certainly won't be any sort of tough follow-up question) that should make us all gag. In the US, there is a steady stream of news stories about corrupt or otherwise undesirable situations elsewhere in the world.