Greed is akin to the most dreadful cancers. Once it gets a foothold there is little that can stop it. Sure, it's as old as humanity itself, but our system seems to be losing all semblance of respectability, honesty and sincerity. It's almost like the once deplored snake oil salesmen have become the new model for success in many vocations and businesses.
Economic self regulation becomes overburdened and mostly ineffective when the 'self' doing the regulating is consumed by greed. Greed doesn't motivate or inspire people to do honorable things, it inspires them to do underhanded, sneaky, and corrupt things.
The General Motors case, which I alluded to, with the ignition problem leading executives covered up for the simple reason that it would hurt their bottom line, was cold-blooded, premeditated murder. Yet no one was charged as such. And why? Because of how greed has infiltrated every niche in government and the courts, as well as in business and banking. Our elected officials are totally consumed by it. How do people earning a couple hundred thousand a year, living in one of the most expensive cities on earth, end up with a net worth of 77 million dollars for example? We refuse to see it for what it is for some unexplainable reason. We ignore that it's a sure sign of corruption in Washington, yet we never dig in to do something about it. We know we're defeated, so we might as well accept it. And that attitude is what threatens us most, here in the undisputed world capital of capitalism.
Yeah. Just yes, I agree.
When Honda was found to have 'mislaid' the air bag problem a couple years ago there was some talk of indictments for certain execs in the Company. I think somebody realized that the statute of limitations hadn't run out on the GM execs, so nothing happened.
It stinks. And I do not know the answer.