Ecclesiastes 5:8

"If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight, for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them."do not be shocked at the sight" -Corruption in government, red-tape and bureaucracy is nothing new! "The glimpse of that vista of officials suggests possibilities….to baffle the citizen who presses for his rights: he can be endlessly obstructed and deflected. As for moral responsibility, it can be side-stepped….Every official can blame the system, while the ultimate authorities hold sway at any infinite distance from the lives they affect…another feature of bureaucracy: its predatory self-absorption, each official keeping. baleful eye on the next one down the list" (Kidner p. 54).