This has all been done before...
As per the prophetic Mel Brooks film,
A History of the World: Part I (1981)
Mel Brooks, as
Comicus, says:
"Politics, politics,
politics, politics!
Politics! Yes!
The Roman Senate.
The Roman Senate
is the best legislature
that money can buy!
Corruption starts
in the streets
with the little peddlers.
They bribe an assemblyman,
he bribes a councilman,
the councilman bribes
a senator, and the senator...
It goes all the way
to the Emperor!"
You see, history has truly repeated itself!
The above quote starts at @ 1:57 in the following excerpt from the film:
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNRvz5O9l2s