When the rest of the world is corrupt and there is no way to win clean, that is the choice. The dopers are always a step ahead of any testing regime. And so long as a nation's govt is on board, catching the dopers is impossible. It does not have to be the state sponsored program of East Germany. Just intentional neglect and sending a green light to the nation's athletes that ignorance is bliss.
Take England for example. It is obvious that the govt there got tired of seeing its athletes unable to compete. So the green light was sent. And the results followed, topped by the Sky cycling team where the doping was obvious. And do I blame them when countries like Spain made it clear they were ok with doping by its athletes?
Or Jamaica. Proud athletic tradition but the idea that such a small population could produce multiple record holders simultaneously in both men's and women's track without doping is nuts. And it matters. The tainted records from Flo Jo, Jackie Joyner and even Marion Jones have still not been beaten. Even Bolt in his last race seemed strangely human again, probably not wanting to pull an Armstrong and risk the slight chance of getting caught on the way out the door.
Right now in distance running we know the East Africans are doping to the gills to the point that it has become so embarrassing blatant that even their govts can no longer ignore it completely. And other nations have joined in. So either play the game or stay home. Our distance athletes should do what needs to be done to be competitive.