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or not trying to normalize but pointing out that its already normalized to the point that you can’t be an effective employee due to competition with people winn

or not trying to normalize but pointing out that its already normalized to the point that you can’t be an effective employee due to competition with people winning deal flow via kickbacks The actions in question occurred almost 10 years ago, how many people lost commissions and bonuses and promotions and jobs and relationships by trying to play fair? acknowledging this isn’t being an apologist for it or condoning it even the DOJ indictment only acknowledges Netflix shareholders being deprived of tiny tiny amounts of profits, not everyone at all the other companies in the wake over the last decade, which is kind of a slap in the face and like a joke that public servants actually bothered, using that rationale. so with that reality the incentive is still there to kickback and relax

president 5y ago
Yes, this is effectively a race to the bottom situation and is a form of corruption of the rule of law. In today's world, we tend to have a culture of "letting things slide" and all this does is gradually normalize and escalate breaking the law over a long period of time.
- zapataband1 5y ago
  Cost of wage theft by employers is 3 times the total cost of burglaries. There's a few articles about wage theft over the year and probably 100 a day about burglaries. White collar crime does not pay.
  - savingsPossible 5y ago
    That is the most amazing statistic! What exactly is the definition of wage theft? Do you have a source? I would love to have it
    - ceh123 5y ago
      Not sure about this source, but [0] gives some insight into this. Wage theft is typically defined as legally earned wages than an employer refuses to give to the employee (think tips not being given appropriately, overtime hours not compensated for as an hourly employee, etc.) [0] https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-theft-bigger-problem-forms-theft-workers/ https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-theft-bigger-problem-fo...
- wayoutthere 5y ago
  It’s a side effect of having so many laws that it’s impossible not to break some of them. And this is coming from someone on the left.
  - pyronite 5y ago
    I'm not aware of any laws I've unintentionally broken. Which kinds of laws are you speaking of?
    - horsawlarway 5y ago
      Ever been under 18 and owned a spray paint can or a permanent marker? Crime. Ever connected to an open wifi network without directly confirming with the owner you're allowed? Crime. Ever held your phone while driving? Crime. Happen to also be headed downhill and hit 1mph over the limit? Double crime! Ever walked across your street outside of clearly marked crossings? Crime. Ever sung happy birthday in public? Crime. Ever played a poker game for small stakes at home? Crime. Ever had a pet and not registered them with your county? Crime. Ever peed outside? Crime. Ever bought something online and not reported it for taxes? Crime. Ever sat on the sidewalk? Crime. The list goes on and on.
      - ___q 5y ago
        "Happy birthday" is public domain and you don't need to report things you buy online on your taxes
        ghaff 5y ago
        >you don't need to report things you buy online on your taxes In at least some states (e.g. Massachusetts) you are indeed supposed to report out of state purchases brought into the state whether or not the company selling to you collected the state sales tax or not. (Larger companies shipping to you now have to collect.)
        horsawlarway 5y ago
        > "Happy birthday" is public domain Only after 2016. Before that you would have been on the hook for ~$700 per performance to warner media group. Admittedly, in most "Private" settings, you'd be fine. The most common place to get flagged was in a restaurant where the waiters sing to you. > you don't need to report things you buy online on your taxes Ooof, I got some bad news for you, buddy. You ABSOLUTELY DO need to report any online purchase that does not charge you sales tax at time of payment. Most retailers will now do this (primarily because Amazon abused the shit out of this to give customers an additional ~10% off, and the IRS started handing out fines) but for things like: Craigslist, Ebay, Alibaba, etc - You better be reporting it, you little criminal you.
avgcorrection 5y ago
How do you propose that one solves this?
- vmception 5y ago
  The wrong people are being prosecuted, they are going after the most well connected node in a graph only when noticed. It should not be a criminal charge. And the civil charge likely needs to be levied elsewhere, and let the individual perpetrator be embroiled in private litigation with the employer and associated companies. I see the same absurdity in the FCPA. Americans are sent into to foreign and already corrupt markets to land business, but if they do anything competitive in that corrupt market, then they … have to pay a kickback to the United States too as punishment for paying kickbacks?
  - avgcorrection 5y ago
    Some good points.

president 5y ago

Yes, this is effectively a race to the bottom situation and is a form of corruption of the rule of law. In today's world, we tend to have a culture of "letting things slide" and all this does is gradually normalize and escalate breaking the law over a long period of time.

zapataband1 5y ago
Cost of wage theft by employers is 3 times the total cost of burglaries. There's a few articles about wage theft over the year and probably 100 a day about burglaries. White collar crime does not pay.
- savingsPossible 5y ago
  That is the most amazing statistic! What exactly is the definition of wage theft? Do you have a source? I would love to have it
  - ceh123 5y ago
    Not sure about this source, but [0] gives some insight into this. Wage theft is typically defined as legally earned wages than an employer refuses to give to the employee (think tips not being given appropriately, overtime hours not compensated for as an hourly employee, etc.) [0] https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-theft-bigger-problem-forms-theft-workers/ https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-theft-bigger-problem-fo...
wayoutthere 5y ago
It’s a side effect of having so many laws that it’s impossible not to break some of them. And this is coming from someone on the left.
- pyronite 5y ago
  I'm not aware of any laws I've unintentionally broken. Which kinds of laws are you speaking of?
  - horsawlarway 5y ago
    Ever been under 18 and owned a spray paint can or a permanent marker? Crime. Ever connected to an open wifi network without directly confirming with the owner you're allowed? Crime. Ever held your phone while driving? Crime. Happen to also be headed downhill and hit 1mph over the limit? Double crime! Ever walked across your street outside of clearly marked crossings? Crime. Ever sung happy birthday in public? Crime. Ever played a poker game for small stakes at home? Crime. Ever had a pet and not registered them with your county? Crime. Ever peed outside? Crime. Ever bought something online and not reported it for taxes? Crime. Ever sat on the sidewalk? Crime. The list goes on and on.
    - ___q 5y ago
      "Happy birthday" is public domain and you don't need to report things you buy online on your taxes
      - ghaff 5y ago
        >you don't need to report things you buy online on your taxes In at least some states (e.g. Massachusetts) you are indeed supposed to report out of state purchases brought into the state whether or not the company selling to you collected the state sales tax or not. (Larger companies shipping to you now have to collect.)
      - horsawlarway 5y ago
        > "Happy birthday" is public domain Only after 2016. Before that you would have been on the hook for ~$700 per performance to warner media group. Admittedly, in most "Private" settings, you'd be fine. The most common place to get flagged was in a restaurant where the waiters sing to you. > you don't need to report things you buy online on your taxes Ooof, I got some bad news for you, buddy. You ABSOLUTELY DO need to report any online purchase that does not charge you sales tax at time of payment. Most retailers will now do this (primarily because Amazon abused the shit out of this to give customers an additional ~10% off, and the IRS started handing out fines) but for things like: Craigslist, Ebay, Alibaba, etc - You better be reporting it, you little criminal you.

avgcorrection 5y ago

How do you propose that one solves this?

vmception 5y ago
The wrong people are being prosecuted, they are going after the most well connected node in a graph only when noticed. It should not be a criminal charge. And the civil charge likely needs to be levied elsewhere, and let the individual perpetrator be embroiled in private litigation with the employer and associated companies. I see the same absurdity in the FCPA. Americans are sent into to foreign and already corrupt markets to land business, but if they do anything competitive in that corrupt market, then they … have to pay a kickback to the United States too as punishment for paying kickbacks?
- avgcorrection 5y ago
  Some good points.