5 ms·

“Every company” is obviously hyperbole. My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody. What do you really mean - every $1bn+ revenue aerospace firm?

georgemcbay 7y ago
"My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody." You sure? I mean, I agree with you that "every company" is certainly hyperbole, but bribery happens on different scales. Its not all national level and involving 6+ figure sums. I know someone who worked at a local restaurant where the owner bribed someone at the local health inspection office to be tipped off before "random inspections" giving them a couple of days notice to get things sorted out prior to the inspection. I suspect companies committing bribery are the minority, but it can and does happen at the local small-business level.
- perl4ever 7y ago
  Vehicle inspections.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
Johnny555 7y ago
My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody How would you know? Maybe he gives his meat guy generous "tips" to bring him fresher meat than the deli down the street
caoilte 7y ago
Who knows who comes round every month for protection money. Hopefully it's just the beat cop.
raverbashing 7y ago
Every company that sells to governments in "low compliance" (let's put it this way) places. Do you think Mr General/President/Leader of 3rd world country looks at merit/quality only?
blattimwind 7y ago
> My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody. It would be more surprising if that were actually true.
ksec 7y ago
>My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody That may be true, but Deli are also often the target of vendors, distributors for kickbacks. They may not have bribed anyone, but they could also have been bribed.
closeparen 7y ago
Your local deli needs its location zoned for commercial use. Delis don't make that much money, so if it's sitting on prime real estate, it needs a narrow enough zoning category to prevent a higher value business from scooping up the lease. It needs approval from the building inspector, the fire marshal, and the health department. Unless there's a yellow curb or a loading dock, it needs the police to look the other way while its suppliers' trucks park illegally during unloading. There are many politicians and bureaucrats with discretion over whether it gets to exist. Most of the time, those people probably act in good faith. But they absolutely could shake down the owner if they wanted to, or accept a bribe for lax enforcement. Or the departments could be so short-staffed that it'll be years for an approval unless an interested politician escalates on your behalf. Good luck running a small business in Chicago while not on friendly terms with your alderman.

georgemcbay 7y ago

"My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody." You sure? I mean, I agree with you that "every company" is certainly hyperbole, but bribery happens on different scales. Its not all national level and involving 6+ figure sums. I know someone who worked at a local restaurant where the owner bribed someone at the local health inspection office to be tipped off before "random inspections" giving them a couple of days notice to get things sorted out prior to the inspection. I suspect companies committing bribery are the minority, but it can and does happen at the local small-business level.

perl4ever 7y ago
Vehicle inspections.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Johnny555 7y ago

My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody How would you know? Maybe he gives his meat guy generous "tips" to bring him fresher meat than the deli down the street

caoilte 7y ago

Who knows who comes round every month for protection money. Hopefully it's just the beat cop.

raverbashing 7y ago

Every company that sells to governments in "low compliance" (let's put it this way) places. Do you think Mr General/President/Leader of 3rd world country looks at merit/quality only?

blattimwind 7y ago

> My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody. It would be more surprising if that were actually true.

ksec 7y ago

>My local deli doesn’t bribe anybody That may be true, but Deli are also often the target of vendors, distributors for kickbacks. They may not have bribed anyone, but they could also have been bribed.

closeparen 7y ago

Your local deli needs its location zoned for commercial use. Delis don't make that much money, so if it's sitting on prime real estate, it needs a narrow enough zoning category to prevent a higher value business from scooping up the lease. It needs approval from the building inspector, the fire marshal, and the health department. Unless there's a yellow curb or a loading dock, it needs the police to look the other way while its suppliers' trucks park illegally during unloading. There are many politicians and bureaucrats with discretion over whether it gets to exist. Most of the time, those people probably act in good faith. But they absolutely could shake down the owner if they wanted to, or accept a bribe for lax enforcement. Or the departments could be so short-staffed that it'll be years for an approval unless an interested politician escalates on your behalf. Good luck running a small business in Chicago while not on friendly terms with your alderman.