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That's not cynical at all. Rich people don't go to jail in the US unless they really, REALLY screw up, and even then it's not a guarantee if they have the right

That's not cynical at all. Rich people don't go to jail in the US unless they really, REALLY screw up, and even then it's not a guarantee if they have the right friends. Citation: the banking crash in 2008.

godzillabrennus 10y ago
Unless you are rich and commit a crime so horrendous you are Jared Fogle it's pretty much guaranteed that the wheels of commerce shall just keep spinning.
- jonathankoren 10y ago
  Jared committed a poor person crime. Committing a rich person crime is totally different. Just as Don Blakenship if Massey Energy. $250,000 fine and 12 months in prison for violating workplace safety laws that resulted in the deaths of 29 miners.
edanm 10y ago
Just out of curiosity, who specifically should've gone to jail in 2008, and for what?
- ldehaan 10y ago
  who: Anyone who profited from defrauding the us tax payers. There is a very long list. given the proper time and budget from, say, the department of justice; we'd probably have it. however the doj did nothing twice, and so I doubt they'll be the ones to whom we should entrust such long list making. why: billions of dollars stolen from the world economy to make people who were already wealthy; more wealthy. All at the expense of hundreds of millions who have a lower quality of life because of it. on this you'll just have to trust me or research on your own. There are several movies and documentaries which address it in depth on Netflix/HBO/Amazon.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - saiya-jin 10y ago
    if they broke the law during that time then yes, otherwise no. the last part about "you just have to trust me" is pretty funny - there are several movies and documentaries on Netflix/HBO/Amazon (and youtube!) about how jet fuel can't melt steel beams. or you just have to trust me.
- FussyZeus 10y ago
  I would argue the bankers who packaged sub-prime mortgages as securities, knowingly stocking bullshit investments in large enough groups where they looked ok, and fudging the numbers to do it in most cases. In my mind there's no difference between that and for example, selling a lemon car and should have a similar outcome.
saryant 10y ago
Err, Enron? Both Lay and Skilling were sentenced to years in prison.
- jazzyk 10y ago
  Counter-example: Jon "I simply do not know where the money is" Corzine. Why this man walks free is beyond me. [1] http://www.wsj.com/articles/corzine-cftc-duel-over-mf-global-collapse-1450969065 http://www.wsj.com/articles/corzine-cftc-duel-over-mf-global...

godzillabrennus 10y ago

Unless you are rich and commit a crime so horrendous you are Jared Fogle it's pretty much guaranteed that the wheels of commerce shall just keep spinning.

jonathankoren 10y ago
Jared committed a poor person crime. Committing a rich person crime is totally different. Just as Don Blakenship if Massey Energy. $250,000 fine and 12 months in prison for violating workplace safety laws that resulted in the deaths of 29 miners.

edanm 10y ago

Just out of curiosity, who specifically should've gone to jail in 2008, and for what?

ldehaan 10y ago
who: Anyone who profited from defrauding the us tax payers. There is a very long list. given the proper time and budget from, say, the department of justice; we'd probably have it. however the doj did nothing twice, and so I doubt they'll be the ones to whom we should entrust such long list making. why: billions of dollars stolen from the world economy to make people who were already wealthy; more wealthy. All at the expense of hundreds of millions who have a lower quality of life because of it. on this you'll just have to trust me or research on your own. There are several movies and documentaries which address it in depth on Netflix/HBO/Amazon.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- saiya-jin 10y ago
  if they broke the law during that time then yes, otherwise no. the last part about "you just have to trust me" is pretty funny - there are several movies and documentaries on Netflix/HBO/Amazon (and youtube!) about how jet fuel can't melt steel beams. or you just have to trust me.
FussyZeus 10y ago
I would argue the bankers who packaged sub-prime mortgages as securities, knowingly stocking bullshit investments in large enough groups where they looked ok, and fudging the numbers to do it in most cases. In my mind there's no difference between that and for example, selling a lemon car and should have a similar outcome.

saryant 10y ago

Err, Enron? Both Lay and Skilling were sentenced to years in prison.

jazzyk 10y ago
Counter-example: Jon "I simply do not know where the money is" Corzine. Why this man walks free is beyond me. [1] http://www.wsj.com/articles/corzine-cftc-duel-over-mf-global-collapse-1450969065 http://www.wsj.com/articles/corzine-cftc-duel-over-mf-global...