the "democratic" process just opens the doorway to corruption at any level...the people need to take back their country, no matter which one you live in. Inept, corrupt, Politicians thrive because of people's apathy, ignorance and lack of personal responsibility.
In the end the only ones we have to blame for how things are is ourselves.

What you have said is very apt, and does, as you state, apply to any and all countries who use the democratic process. Politicians thrive, because we permit them and do not abide by what the Founding Fathers wanted. Their idea was that America was to have citizen politicians. In other words, ordinary people such as you, I, our neighbor, or our co-worker were to serve one, at the most two terms in Congress, then go home. In most countries, there is no such thing as a citizen politician, only career politicians.