3 ms·

As opposed to legal bribes?

by seydor 4y ago

elashri 4y ago
Usually these countries doesn't have lobby groups in the same sense. That's why it is illegal bribes.
dataflow 4y ago
I think they mean the (sub)set of foreign bribes that are illegal for US entities.
- rob74 4y ago
  All bribes are illegal for US entities. If they were legal, they would call it something else...
  - VulgarExigency 4y ago
    Yes, lobbying.
  - eru 4y ago
    Bribing foreigners used to be legal for US entities.
  - tdeck 4y ago
    Apparently the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act makes an exception for so-called "grease payments", which are bribes (i.e. technically illegal in the foreign country) that are intended just to get someone to do their expected job.
cabirum 4y ago
"grease payments"
janmarsal 4y ago
Yes, they use legal bribes in the US and Europe.
- npteljes 4y ago
  And illegal ones too. For one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_licensing_corruption_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_licensing_corruption...
gryn 4y ago
Alright playing the devil's advocate. even though I'm against both forms obviously. yes, "legal bribes" go by many names depending on the target, amount and place. tips, lobbying, political donations, promises, non-political donations/gifts to a "friend", funding, an implicit promise to land a comfy job after gov, etc ... the difference between the west and other places is that in the west when you try to screw over other people, you design legal frameworks and loopholes that make said bribes legal and rightful and other shenanigans that diffuse the trail while places like the middle east and elsewhere it's more straight forward and has less abstraction layers, they look you in the eye smile and let you know that their screwing you. the western model is better because you don't have to deal with the emotional reaction that comes from the humiliation and injustice face to face, and if you're not observing enough you might not even notice it if you want. you can take a lot bribes and translate them into more acceptable/familiar language: - bribing a waiter to not mess with your food: customer service tip. - bribing a local government worker to give you a document that's rightfully your and skip your a lot of BS round-trips across many desks: an express lane service a la TSA preCheck/ Airlines Priority queues that helps people vote with their wallet about the urgency of the getting that document. - having a bribe someone to land some big contract: an auction mechanism where bidders display the seriousness of their commitment to the project with their wallets. - bribing a government official to not enforce a rule or interpret it in specific ways or create new regulation that just happen to be in your favor: lobbying the list can go on.

As opposed to legal bribes?

by seydor 4y ago

As opposed to legal bribes?

elashri 4y ago

Usually these countries doesn't have lobby groups in the same sense. That's why it is illegal bribes.

dataflow 4y ago

I think they mean the (sub)set of foreign bribes that are illegal for US entities.

rob74 4y ago
All bribes are illegal for US entities. If they were legal, they would call it something else...
- VulgarExigency 4y ago
  Yes, lobbying.
- eru 4y ago
  Bribing foreigners used to be legal for US entities.
- tdeck 4y ago
  Apparently the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act makes an exception for so-called "grease payments", which are bribes (i.e. technically illegal in the foreign country) that are intended just to get someone to do their expected job.

cabirum 4y ago

"grease payments"

janmarsal 4y ago

Yes, they use legal bribes in the US and Europe.

npteljes 4y ago
And illegal ones too. For one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_licensing_corruption_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_licensing_corruption...

gryn 4y ago

Alright playing the devil's advocate. even though I'm against both forms obviously. yes, "legal bribes" go by many names depending on the target, amount and place. tips, lobbying, political donations, promises, non-political donations/gifts to a "friend", funding, an implicit promise to land a comfy job after gov, etc ... the difference between the west and other places is that in the west when you try to screw over other people, you design legal frameworks and loopholes that make said bribes legal and rightful and other shenanigans that diffuse the trail while places like the middle east and elsewhere it's more straight forward and has less abstraction layers, they look you in the eye smile and let you know that their screwing you. the western model is better because you don't have to deal with the emotional reaction that comes from the humiliation and injustice face to face, and if you're not observing enough you might not even notice it if you want. you can take a lot bribes and translate them into more acceptable/familiar language: - bribing a waiter to not mess with your food: customer service tip. - bribing a local government worker to give you a document that's rightfully your and skip your a lot of BS round-trips across many desks: an express lane service a la TSA preCheck/ Airlines Priority queues that helps people vote with their wallet about the urgency of the getting that document. - having a bribe someone to land some big contract: an auction mechanism where bidders display the seriousness of their commitment to the project with their wallets. - bribing a government official to not enforce a rule or interpret it in specific ways or create new regulation that just happen to be in your favor: lobbying the list can go on.