In the movie “Syriana,” a lawyer investigates irregular payments by a U.S. oil company to secure concessions in Kazakhstan. When the lawyer confronts Danny Dalton, one of the oil company’s directors, Dalton retorts: "Corruption? Corruption ain't nothing more than government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulation … We have laws against it precisely so we can get away with it. Corruption is our protection … Corruption is how we win." Dalton’s appalling and cynical characterization of bribery and corruption is, unfortunately, not that far-fetched. It’s widely believed that a 2003 Justice Department investigation into payments made ...