Brilliantly written and perceived. It’s easy to rationalize bureaucratic choices within institutional systems. The decisions are nonviolent and often spread across enough departments that any illegal scheme is obscured.
To uncover illegality, there must be watchdogs charged with looking for it with executive backing and power to impose severe penalties. How many financial institutions are serious in this regard if they see the odds of consequences are small?
Even with regulatory oversight, the decks are stacked in favor of those with great wealth and premium lawyers. It often takes unexpected heroes in the system to come forward, and they must have both resources and stamina to endure a brutal fight.
Thank you for your level-headedness, @Shanley, your focus on the victims the victimizers and the system which makes victimization scalable. All too often treatment of issues like these follows the predictable path of devolving into emotional pique (e.g. outrage), salacious tabloid (court-) intrigue, culture-war gamesmanship or conspiratorial kookery.
Brilliantly written and perceived. It’s easy to rationalize bureaucratic choices within institutional systems. The decisions are nonviolent and often spread across enough departments that any illegal scheme is obscured.
To uncover illegality, there must be watchdogs charged with looking for it with executive backing and power to impose severe penalties. How many financial institutions are serious in this regard if they see the odds of consequences are small?
Even with regulatory oversight, the decks are stacked in favor of those with great wealth and premium lawyers. It often takes unexpected heroes in the system to come forward, and they must have both resources and stamina to endure a brutal fight.
This is a good companion piece and an indictment of how we - as a nation - have handled consequences and accountability: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/elite-accountability-powerful-impunity/686134/?gift=z1YsS-M-kD4XRo1uwl1-klxPjwK-7GPCrVeQqo2IX6M&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
Your writings remind me to focus rather than react. Brilliant
Complicit regulators, good theme.
Thank you for your level-headedness, @Shanley, your focus on the victims the victimizers and the system which makes victimization scalable. All too often treatment of issues like these follows the predictable path of devolving into emotional pique (e.g. outrage), salacious tabloid (court-) intrigue, culture-war gamesmanship or conspiratorial kookery.