How patriotic is the arms industry? Not very.

[a_unique_person]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/06/1046826480184.html

Hughes and Boeing fined for helping china develop missiles. What was that about beware the Military/industrial complex?



Boeing, the world's biggest satellite maker, and Hughes Electronics will pay a $US32 million ($A51.9 million) fine for helping China develop rockets and missiles without the permission of the US Government.

"The companies accept full responsibility and express regret for not having obtained licences that should have been obtained," Boeing and Hughes said in a statement. Such help to China or other nations could have a negative effect on national security, they said.

[corplinx]

Sun sold them the computer that does targetting. As someone who works in IT I usually recommend people buy from Fujitsu. They run the same software, the Fujitsu is faster, less expensive, and Fujitsu doesn't sell computers to China for targetting American cities.

[svero]

It's funny you know... I mean you get guys that steal billions (enron), help foreign countries develop missles and so on... and nothing bad really happens to them and then on the other hand you currently have 25 people doing 25-life in california for stealing less than 400$

[corplinx]

Originally posted by svero
It's funny you know... I mean you get guys that steal billions (enron), help foreign countries develop missles and so on... and nothing bad really happens to them and then on the other hand you currently have 25 people doing 25-life in california for stealing less than 400$

I take it you are refering to people who committed 1 or more felonies in the People's Republic of Kalifornia whose third convicted crime is a small midemeanor. Under PRK law, that misdemeanor is considered a felony and so the person gets life in prison under the "3 strikes" rule.

I don't have much sympathy for "bicycle" thief in jail for like in PRK at all. For one thing, most of your "thug" types who are convicted of 3 crimes have actually committed many more. We have a arrest and conviction system with a 3 percent hit rate.

I am not sold yet on whether or not this is a good thing. It seems to me that filling up prisons with these career thugs is a good thing in that in theory you will have less thugs on the street. On the other hand they could be doing something useful in some form of civil service instead of being "punished" behind bars.

So now you have your prisons swelling with unproductive people. The least Kalifornia could do is find some sort of work for nonviolent offenders to do. Put them to work building a dam or something.

[svero]

Originally posted by corplinx

I take it you are refering to people who committed 1 or more felonies in the People's Republic of Kalifornia whose third convicted crime is a small midemeanor.

Well how does it work exactly? Suppose I steal a pizza and I"m caught and then I do that same crime 2 more times? Is that eligable for the 3x law?

[a_unique_person]

England tried many years ago to solve the problem of crime by transporting criminals to Australia. It didn't solve a thing.

Many of the criminals, in Australia, became fine, upstanding citizens.

They also experimented with Norfolk Island, where there was no limit to the brutality handed out to the prisoners. That didn't work either. It was also the place where the parole system first started, and was shown to improve prisoner behaviour markedly.

Many of those convicted of minor crimes under the californian law would just be stupid people. why persecute them further? I see people rummaging in the rubbish bins for food. You can't convince me that is a better life than getting a job. These people just can't live a 'normal' life.

the best cure for crime appears to be an economy that is doing well.

[svero]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
England tried many years ago to solve the problem of crime by transporting criminals to Australia. It didn't solve a thing.

Many of the criminals, in Australia, became fine, upstanding citizens.

They also experimented with Norfolk Island, where there was no limit to the brutality handed out to the prisoners. That didn't work either. It was also the place where the parole system first started, and was shown to improve prisoner behaviour markedly.

Many of those convicted of minor crimes under the californian law would just be stupid people. why persecute them further? I see people rummaging in the rubbish bins for food. You can't convince me that is a better life than getting a job. These people just can't live a 'normal' life.

the best cure for crime appears to be an economy that is doing well.

Sorry your thread seems to have been hijacked... That wasn't really my intention. Mental note... post on topic.

[a_unique_person]

Ah, it's not so bad.

It is interesting that the fine only applies to the company, and for them it is a piddling amount. Now surely there were some actual people who made the decisions there, who should be held responsible. And the crime appears to be much worse than stealing a few golf clubs.

[corplinx]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
Ah, it's not so bad.

Now surely there were some actual people who made the decisions there, who should be held responsible.

Agreed. Too bad we will never see it happen most likely. Boeing plays both sides of the aisle and is pretty safely protected by "friends" in Washington.

[susheel]

The only thing that any corporation is patriotic towards is the big M. I am not talking as a lefty here but I guess it is a logical conclusion one can make.

If another country offered better business environments and sops I guess they would gladly relocate.

It does do funny things with that oft repeated capitalist maxim:

"What's good for <insert corp. name here> is good for America"

I am quite sure that there will be a near future when America's enemies will be fighting it with American products. The manufacturers may hedge with excuses that "no products were sold directly" and stuff but can that really be true.

With resources available is it so difficult for manufacturers to keep track of where their products go? I mean handheld missile launchers arent like a box of pencils are they?