"What I never expected was that the Russian mafia would merge with the government; its members are now the same officials who are supposed to be protecting the

"What I never expected was that the Russian mafia would merge with the government; its members are now the same officials who are supposed to be protecting the public." Really? I have friends in Russian and Ukraine and from the limited stories I hear, this seems not too surprising to me. When corruption and bribery becomes a cultural norm, it takes a long time (or never) to go away.