How do people in countries where bribes are pervasive think about Anglosphere countries where they aren't? Do they think we're oblivious to the potential? Not interested in money? So rich it doesn't matter? Or do they feel sorry for officials not getting the share they deserve?
I can put one datapoint: a person i know closely forgot a bag on a train in Switzerland, with significant valuables inside. This was in a rural area, with a tiny train station.
He told the local staff, they told the train driver, and at his next stop he passed it to the driver of a train going the other way. The guy had his valuables back withing 40 minutes.
He tried to offer some cash to the guy as a token of gratitude and he got offended. The dude was left feeling very uncomfortable and not sure what to do or how to soove over the situation.
That guy is reasonably aware of how europe works, but old habbit die hard. Also switzerland is probably one of the most orderly places around
As an Egyptian, my thought is that it's a conscience issue, and also a law-trust issue. People in Anglosphere countries respect the law better than here (and the law is also actually applied and enforced), while here people just don't care (and the law isn't applied in many cases). Some people actually boast that they're breaking the law :)
I had conversations about this topic with people from Russia, Turkey, and Iran. They compared their country of origin with Switzerland and Germany. It was not only about bribery but also about informal vs. formal organization of society.
They all told me that the clear organizational structures and reliability in the West are a big relief for them personally. They loved this aspect of the western country.
And I remember the stressed faces of the local victims when they were stopped by the highwaymen (the traffic police) in Azerbaijan.
So I believe everyone hates the corruption and would love to live in a place where you can rely on the official rules.
