According to James Burnham's "Iron Law of Oligarchy," systems eventually serve their rulers. In government, deficit spending and subsidies are used to secure votes and donor funding, meaning leaders are incentivized to maintain the flow of money, even if it's wasteful or fraudulent, to ensure their own political survival.

The electoral process inherently favors wealthy, socially connected, and power-seeking individuals. This systematically excludes more reserved but capable citizens, creating a political class with significant blind spots that is often unresponsive to the majority's needs.

In British Columbia, organized Indigenous groups hold significant political sway that extends beyond Indigenous issues. The provincial government consults them as a moral authority on a wide range of topics, effectively granting them powerful influence over policy and personnel decisions.

Large, centralized governments are inherently the enemy of citizens. The most effective form of governance is 'subsidiarity,' where decisions are made at the most local level possible. This increases accountability, as leaders are part of the community they govern, in contrast to distant, bureaucratic, and inhumane centralized agencies.

Instead of a moral failing, corruption is a predictable outcome of game theory. If a system contains an exploit, a subset of people will maximize it. The solution is not appealing to morality but designing radically transparent systems that remove the opportunity to exploit.

The nature of cartel violence in Mexico has shifted from traditional drug wars to battles for local economic power. Cartels are deeply integrated into the economy and government, competing for diversified revenue streams like fuel theft, extortion, and control over local supply chains.

When formal management is cut, an informal leadership structure inevitably emerges. This 'ghost hierarchy' operates on influence rather than authority, rewarding charismatic confidence over actual competence and breeding political maneuvering as the primary means of securing resources and decisions.

Oaxaca's overrepresentation in national politics isn't accidental. Its mountainous terrain fostered a history of political independence. After Mexico's independence, villages eagerly established local governments, creating a deeply competitive political environment that functions as a training ground for skilled politicians.

Unlike typical government welfare, aid money in Argentina, even from international sources, is channeled through Peronist party operatives who hand it out physically. This frames the aid as a personal gift from the party, creating a powerful system of dependency and political obligation.