9 T. F, R* M: i1 o o此外，我們需要照亮國際金融的黑暗角落，特別是開曼群島這樣的避稅天堂和神秘的瑞士銀行。逃稅、回扣、非法酬金、賄賂和其他非法交易就是通過這些賬戶進行的。這一隱秘體系所帶來的錢權和非法性如今已經泛濫到了威脅全球經濟合法性的地步，特別是在如今收入不平等程度和預算赤字空前的時刻。而收入不平等和預算赤字之所以空前，乃是因為政府在向富人征稅方面的政治——有時甚至是操作——無能。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb# @7 b( X1 j+ q0 G% l8 U
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因此，下一次當你聽說在非洲或是別的貧困地區出現腐敗丑聞的時候，不妨打聽一下丑聞來自哪裡、是誰在搞腐敗。美國和其他“發達”國家沒有任何權利指責貧苦國家，因為造成問題的往往是最強大的跨國公司。 % K Y4 P& Y8 z) P9 ]& M8 {6 Q5.39.217.765.39.217.76+ q! Z( R6 M# o ], C
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。! \, h; K' a9 d) D
杰弗裡·薩克斯(Jeffrey D. Sachs) 是哥倫比亞大學經濟學教授，哥倫比亞大學地球研究所主任。他還是聯合國秘書長千年發展目標特別顧問 作者: felicity2010 時間: 2011-11-20 12:01 PM
本帖最後由 felicity2010 於 2011-11-20 12:08 PM 編輯 4 Z$ x4 o8 M9 j6 S) q7 ?0 Y2 i 7 _$ f9 u) g2 I! R. H2 B% Q9 \TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。The Global Economy's Corporate Crime Wave Jeffrey D. Sachs公仔箱論壇' D" V7 x0 w, [, c; P
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。4 k4 K1 k5 {1 m/ M8 k
X& q4 w! a: u q iTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。NEW YORK – The world is drowning incorporate fraud, and the problems are probably greatest in rich countries –those with supposedly “good governance.” Poor-country governments probably accept more bribes and commit more offenses, but it is rich countries that host the global companies that carry out the largest offenses. Money talks, and it is corrupting politics and markets all over the world. / K+ J# a, A5 @TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 ) _( s" M2 @4 ^- t5.39.217.76Hardly a day passes without a new story of malfeasance. Every Wall Street firm has paid significant fines during the past decade for phony accounting, insider trading, securities fraud, Ponzi schemes, or outright embezzlement by CEOs. A massive insider-trading ring is currently on trial in New York, and has implicated some leading financial-industry figures. And it follows a series of fines paid by America’s biggest investment banks to settle charges of various securities violations.) }9 m8 u k4 \2 F1 T
. ?6 D& W- Z l0 B! WThere is, however, scant accountability. Two years after the biggest financial crisis in history, which was fueled by unscrupulous behavior by the biggest banks on Wall Street, not a single financial leader has faced jail. When companies are fined for malfeasance, their shareholders, not their CEOs and managers, pay the price. The fines are always a tiny fraction of the ill-gotten gains, implying to Wall Street that corrupt practices have a solid rate of return. Even today,the banking lobby runs roughshod over regulators and politicians.' W: C* ?$ k7 C* c
Corruption pays in American politics as well. The current governor of Florida, Rick Scott, was CEO of a major health-care company known as Columbia/HCA. The company was charged with defrauding the United States government by overbilling for reimbursement, and eventually pled guilty to 14 felonies, paying a fine of$1.7 billion., I8 A7 y9 A7 @2 D* j
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The FBI’s investigation forced Scott out of his job. But, a decade after the company’s guilty pleas, Scott is back, this time as a “free-market” Republican politician.When Barack Obama wanted somebody to help with the bailout of the US automobile industry, he turned to a Wall Street “fixer,” Steven Rattner, even though Obama knew that Rattner was under investigation for giving kickbacks to government officials. After Rattner finished his work at the White House, he settled the case with a fine of a few million dollars.* m* h( F5 r5 }1 p+ @& `
+ a2 [6 b0 ~3 y2 v+ _3 L$ p" F6 Q5 Q公仔箱論壇But why stop at governors or presidential advisers? Former Vice President Dick Cheney came to the White House after serving as CEO of Halliburton. During his tenure at Halliburton, the firm engaged in illegal bribery of Nigerian officials to enable the company to win access to that country’s oil fields –access worth billions of dollars. When Nigeria’s government charged Halliburton with bribery, the company settled the case out of court, paying a fine of $35million. Of course, there were no consequences whatsoever for Cheney. The news barely made a ripple in the US media.5.39.217.76/ L3 I9 O" I+ Q# t
) n1 r1 g' e" \8 m7 y5.39.217.76Impunity is widespread – indeed, most corporate crimes go unnoticed. The few that are noticed typically end with a slap on the wrist, with the company – meaning its shareholders – picking up a modest fine. The real culprits at the top of these companies rarely need to worry. Even when firms pay mega-fines, their CEOs remain. The shareholders are so dispersed and powerless that they exercise little control over the management. % W" I1 L7 F, L4 S( a公仔箱論壇TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。6 Z+ Q1 E0 \ _2 m: m# f" L0 ?; J
The explosion of corruption – in the US, Europe, China, India, Africa, Brazil, and beyond – raises a host of challenging questions about its causes, and about how to control it now that it has reached epidemic proportions. 3 @4 P; u, ^( n I5.39.217.76 ' P4 g( U- A A9 R! B8 i# FTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Corporate corruption is out of control for two main reasons. First, big companies are now multinational, while governments remain national. Big companies are so financially powerful that governments are afraid to take them on.公仔箱論壇9 H$ u1 p9 H/ k& ?
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Second,companies are the major funders of political campaigns in places like the US, while politicians themselves are often part owners, or at least the silent beneficiaries of corporate profits. Roughly one-half of US Congressmen are millionaires, and many have close ties to companies even before they arrive in Congress.5.39.217.76, |1 l( B3 Y6 S/ h5 c( }
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As a result, politicians often look the other way when corporate behavior crosses the line. Even if governments try to enforce the law, companies have armies of lawyers to run circles around them. The result is a culture of impunity, based on the well-proven expectation that corporate crime pays.5.39.217.763 m3 `( g* M6 [$ i% \* Y$ Q
7 I) R7 Q3 |( _: n/ WGiven the close connections of wealth and power with the law, reining in corporate crime will be an enormous struggle. Fortunately, the rapid and pervasive flow of information nowadays could act as a kind of deterrent or disinfectant.Corruption thrives in the dark, yet more information than ever comes to light via email and blogs, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks.5.39.217.76! g. J8 p( }. q- R
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We will also need a new kind of politician leading a new kind of political campaign, one based on free online media rather than paid media. When politicians can emancipate themselves from corporate donations, they will regain the ability to control corporate abuses.5.39.217.767 g$ k: `; x X; }2 u( n7 `$ J
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Moreover,we will need to light the dark corners of international finance, especially tax havens like the Cayman Islands and secretive Swiss banks. Tax evasion, kickbacks,illegal payments, bribes, and other illegal transactions flow through these accounts. The wealth, power, and illegality enabled by this hidden system are now so vast as to threaten the global economy’s legitimacy, especially at a time of unprecedented income inequality and large budget deficits, owing to governments’ inability politically – and sometimes even operationally – to impose taxes on the wealthy.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb+ d4 O5 D* g% @" {, i6 B
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So the next time you hear about a corruption scandal in Africa or other poor region, ask where it started and who is doing the corrupting. Neither the US nor any other “advanced”country should be pointing the finger at poor countries, for it is often the most powerful global companies that have created the problem.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。) N# R5 H5 f9 M6 h$ i$ M9 v( n
# K( N3 C# f. Itvb now,tvbnow,bttvb & M6 H; o: Q) [+ {4 [TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Jeffrey D. Sachs is Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at ColumbiaUniversity. He is also Special Adviser to United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals.
