Not sure where you're reading that I said it wasn't; I completely agree with you. But if my choices are living in a society where some people evade punishment by being buddies with the cops, or a society where cops routinely stop people for no reason other than a shakedown for a bribe, I'd pick the first option every time.

The original comment bizarrely asserted that bribery is more democratic than the cop-buddy system; that's what I was responding to.

I'd of course prefer a third choice where neither of these things happen.