I wish India did something like this. A crackdown on corruption and enforcement of existing laws would fix 90% of India’s problems. Obviously I don’t think folks should get the death penalty but something harsh like long jail sentences and tearing down of whatever kingdoms they have built.
China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
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Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#172Earlier quoted context omitted.
Counter-example: Sam-Bankman Fried. Biden's second biggest donor. Sentenced to 25 years in jail. Prosecuted even though it wasn't a clear cut case so there were excuses to hang a lack of prosecution on. No pardon.
The case was pretty clear-cut, and as for the pardon... He clearly didn't pay the right president, Trevor Milton got one right at the start of this presidency.
Exactly. Hopefully the contrast between the two presidencies weans people off the idea that "they're all corrupt" and "they're all liars". I'm not hopeful.
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isnt that just the winning end of corruption? Are we really heralding purging political opponents as anti corruption? Imagine if Trump won and put Harris in jail.
> Imagine if Trump won and put Harris in jail. Trump definitely thought about doing that, but even the judges he appointed wouldn't go for it. He still talks about putting Obama in jail for reasons.
I mean, Trump was prosecuted as well and plenty of people want to put him in jail. My point is these kinds of things can't really be argued purely from a meta-level, the actual specifics matter. And in the case of China and Xi, I certainly don't know the specifics and I doubt most people here do either.
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#174Anyone who think this demonstrates the CCP's epicbacon commitment to anti corruption needs to ask themselves how did this man take so much bribe over 30 years and is only sentenced now. Is he dumb? Surely he is smart enough to know he committed a capital crime and yet he kept doing it. Perhaps he only kept doing it because he believed he could somehow get away with it? Perhaps he saw others pull off the same stunt? O…
Epicbacon? Is that some new slang or a typo
generally an allusion to the sophomoric takes of enthusiastic ignorance found on places like Reddit (where The Oatmeal and Cards Against Humanity were popular)
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#175I sometimes see people "celebrate" this, with the rationale that China is cracking down on white-collar crimes and handing out sentences unheard of in the west. But, are these sort of things just examples of selective prosecution? Would the inner circle members of CCP leadership realistically face the same prosecution and sentencing, if they were to be caught doing the same?
Xi has shown repeatedly that he’s serious about corruption. As others have noted, some of the highest civilian and military officials have been removed for it. Some sentenced to death. He sees it as a challenge to his legitimacy and China’s power, which, as you’d expect are the most important things to him; even if you take the most cynical view. Another timely example, because it is the World Cup, is the Chinese foo…
The problem seems to be that "he" chooses who is corrupt and who isn't', right?
This is a person who invites war criminals to his country and rolls out the red carpet...then again...
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#176I wish we did this here in the US. Here it’s the opposite - white collar criminals get “club fed” treatment - good food, comfortable room, tennis courts, etc.
And that’s if they’re ever charged at all, which is rare.
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#177I'm generally against the death penalty but this kind of malfeasance truly deserves it. Sad to see similar corruption at the top levels of the US.
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#178The antifreeze toothpaste people didn’t get away with it, nor did the 3000 pigs in the river people, and nor did that one group of executives who were in charge of a fertilizer/chemical plant that was one of the largest industrial catastrophes in the world let alone China. If you get caught in China, Vietnam, or Singapore the penalties for white collar criminals is zero tolerance. You can’t buy your way out if you do…
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Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
>He sees it as a challenge to his legitimacy and China’s power This right here is why “corruption” should be looked on with great skepticism. In an authoritarian government basic liberties we take for granted in the West are considered corruption. You know, like having a say in how people are governed. This is a high crime in a state with 1 party that cannot be replaced. In that way, “corruption” can mean “not being…
> In an authoritarian government basic liberties we take for granted in the West are considered corruption Could you list some of those basic liberties? Are they the sort of liberties whose exercise involves taking half a billion in bribes? --- Generally, basic liberties like showing up to a protest aren't considered corruption, they get called terrorism, or somesuch. A Texas judge just sentenced a dozen people to 30…
For anyone else curious as to what OP is talking about, I had to look this up:
> The protest was a late-night/noise demonstration (involving fireworks) against immigration detention policies. It turned violent when a shooting injured a police officer. Prosecutors described it as an "act of terrorism" linked to an alleged antifa cell; defendants and supporters denied organized antifa ties and framed it as protected protest activity
https://x.com/i/grok/share/87352ef0ac4b454aba924157c44f476f
It sounds like they arrived in tactical gear, started destroying property, and when cops arrived opened fire.
This seems like a bad example on your part, as the people opposing ICE are some of the most misaligned people in the country. That said, we have a right to protest in traditional public forms, you don't have a right to shoot up an ICE facility.
Re: China sentences official to death for taking $325M in bribes
#180I sometimes see people "celebrate" this, with the rationale that China is cracking down on white-collar crimes and handing out sentences unheard of in the west. But, are these sort of things just examples of selective prosecution? Would the inner circle members of CCP leadership realistically face the same prosecution and sentencing, if they were to be caught doing the same?
Selective prosecution and tough punishment can still be a net positive vs no punishment. (I am not saying it necessarily is nor that I would celebrate this.)
The CCP derives a significant part of its legitimacy from improving quality of life and living standards for the common Han Chinese. Waste and fraud that harms consumers is a drag on this progress; the incentives somewhat align. Real economic harm often causes real political harm.