D1 j6 W& ~# l% E4 q4 C4 ]( Z公司欺詐正在全世界泛濫，而重災區正是發達國家——被認為“治理良好”的國家。貧困國家政府可能接受了更多的賄賂，存在更多的違法行為，但為非作歹最甚的跨國公司可都是來自發達國家的。有錢能使鬼推磨，錢正在腐蝕全世界的政治和市場。 " z5 t1 F0 L+ k, Y5 e) P- Qtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb" e/ D+ o' r5 N6 V) @* n
幾乎是每一天，我們都能聽到新的不法行為發生。過去十年來，沒有一家華爾街公司沒有支付過巨額罰款，要麼是因為作假帳，要麼是因為內部交易，要麼是因為証券詐騙，要麼是因為龐氏騙局，要麼是因為CEO肆無忌憚地挪用公款。紐約最近在審理一大批內部交易案，牽涉不少領袖級金融業人物。隨之而來的是一系列罰款——美國主要投行必須為層出不窮的証券詐騙付出代價。公仔箱論壇4 N, y' G; O# |& K0 L9 i
然而，很少有人因此承擔責任。因華爾街大銀行不擇手段的行為所造成的史上最大金融危機已過去兩年，卻沒有一位金融業大亨被投入監獄。公司因詐騙而受罰，為此買單的並非CEO和管理者，而是股東。罰金通常隻是畸高利潤的一小部分，這讓華爾街感到腐敗行為總能獲得很高的回報率。時至今日，銀行游說集團仍然不把監管者和政客放在眼裡。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。1 | f4 x% }0 E! o. R% [
( U5 R5 @6 M, B' \9 t公仔箱論壇腐敗為美國政治開支不少。現任佛羅裡達州長裡克·斯科特（Rick Scott）曾是一家名叫Columbia/HCA的大型醫療公司的CEO。該公司被指通過超額計償欺詐美國政府，最終被判14項重罪成立，罰款17億美元。: N0 d. @9 b2 T. c
聯邦調查局的調查使得斯科特被迫下台。但是，在該公司有罪判決做出10年后，斯科特卷土重來，這一次披上了“自由市場”共和黨政治家的畫皮。 / k. [* C7 N M5.39.217.769 g0 P" E, k4 C; C
當巴拉克·奧巴馬希望有人能站出來幫助拯救美國汽車業的時候，他將目光投向了華爾街“修車工”斯蒂芬·拉特納（Steven Rattner），而他心知肚明拉特納正因向政府官員提供回扣而在接受調查。在完成了白宮的工作之后，拉特納用幾百萬美元的罰款擺平了這件案子。公仔箱論壇& ^5 \, B1 o4 k" H+ ^# ` v
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但問題又為何止州長和總統顧問？前副總統迪克·切尼（Dick Cheney）在進入白宮前是哈裡伯頓（Halliburton）CEO。在他任職哈裡伯頓期間，該公司被指向尼日利亞官員非法行為以換取進入該國油田的權利，這一權利至少價值數十億美元。尼日利亞政府向哈裡伯頓提起行賄訴訟，但該公司選擇了用錢息事寧人——付出3.5億美元罰款換取庭外和解。當然，切尼的前途並未受此案任何影響。這個案子隻是在美國新聞界掀起了些許波瀾。3 l. r4 ?; J b9 ]- B2 s
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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.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb3 O3 I2 K2 D4 n5 a1 }2 h
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Hardly 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.# E8 r% u- V* \ h* v0 K6 k: [' B/ o
) U9 F$ T; |$ `$ s2 aThere 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. " _! P! W1 r5 \5 i& X$ J5.39.217.76Corruption 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. 8 d, d G- o4 V公仔箱論壇- J8 q- t; H' s1 Z4 F
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. % `) d- L3 [1 ^2 n) t0 kTVBNOW 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。公仔箱論壇' P# y7 l7 Z/ J i
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 $35million. Of course, there were no consequences whatsoever for Cheney. The news barely made a ripple in the US media. ' p3 H6 | f w+ U W# s公仔箱論壇 : t( ?: a) U! q9 G$ l- H3 lImpunity 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. , J, |& R+ X" l m1 Y" U, f b# dTVBNOW 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。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb- s& B1 r! I0 P0 b, b0 ^
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. " e/ M I: K" _公仔箱論壇tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ y2 V/ M3 |. x2 ~
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. % i" D9 I3 A+ s( I0 C) U# V0 F( Y公仔箱論壇tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb! W5 _# Q; _6 R( W, @
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) _4 A0 D1 ?+ N& ?0 ]& n: u/ V( X0 e
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。& Z. p" G& F- r5 x. t& V# h; |# r) }6 p
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.: ~9 L! ~* W' @3 T: K
/ I3 h: D+ f/ S+ ^% n i3 yGiven 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/ n) K- B% J. C5 ]3 y" Q9 j( [
: b9 e. U* B3 w公仔箱論壇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. : o# C. x$ E0 I4 _/ a 4 k9 @6 V8 k4 c# z+ A$ ~! p公仔箱論壇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! i: r; u& V5 {3 r; ]( A! A# F
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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. 5 M+ I/ v& ~ Y7 t: }4 {& ]5.39.217.76 0 z$ u y! S2 |; g4 ^ 7 x" S* K2 j6 S+ R+ ^tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbJeffrey 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.
