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VW's former CEO isn't being charged with killing anyone one. He has been charged with committing fraud by knowingly lying to regulators.

close04 7y ago
I wasn't suggesting that either VW's, GM's, or Boeing's CEOs actually go to prison for "killing" anyone but rather for "knowingly allowing such issues to directly kill". And as the GM example stands to show, it's not particularly hard to get away with this in the US if you are the CEO of a powerful company.
- ryanlol 7y ago
  Can you provide examples of CEOs of less powerful companies not getting away with this? Your comment seems to necessitate examples of such.
  - close04 7y ago
    A gogle helped me here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-10-ceos-in-prison-whyd-they-do-it/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-10-ceos-in-prison-whyd-they... Given that Boeing and GM are/were some of the most powerful in the US stands to reason that most companies will fall under the "less powerful" characterization. But I think my point was clear already: the more powerful the company, the more clout they have when it comes to keeping their CEOs out of prison. whether or not this is doable for smaller players is irrelevant when talking about a heavyweight like Boeing.
    - Aaargh20318 7y ago
      I can't help but notice that all these are examples of CEO's going to prison for making rich people less rich. None a single one for making poor people dead.
      - close04 7y ago
        > I can't help but notice Then I'm sure you also noticed none of this makes my point* less valid. Despite the wave of downvotes (which are probably aimed at me explicitly mentioning the US) I can't see any rebuttal of something I actually said: *Given the precedents (like the GM scandal), CEOs of big/powerful companies (Boeing) in the US (where Boeing "lives") will pretty much get away with anything, including knowingly allowing hundreds to die (which Boeing/CEO did). Later edit: > simply trying to lockup CEOs I don't think is the right way to go. Indeed, it's just a good first step. The very same companies and CEOs will always fight any legal changes that would further a culture of safety first because that usually hurts the bottom line.
        ryanlol 7y ago
        > Then I'm sure you also noticed none of this makes my point* less valid But you don’t have a single example of less powerful executives going to prison in situations comparable to the one we’re discussing, right?
        close04 7y ago
        You keep asking a question that is barely tangential to what I said but avoiding to make an actual point. But because I have a suspicion that you're attempting to disprove my point by attacking something I didn't say, I'll google that for you too: > A CEO just got 28 years in prison after 9 people died from his salmonella-tainted peanuts; Parnell had committed "conspiracy to defraud" consumers by knowingly shipping salmonella-tainted peanut products [0] > Former U.S. coal CEO gets year in prison for blast that killed 29; Blankenship was found guilty of one misdemeanor charge of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards in relation to the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion [1] So obviously they can convict CEOs of lesser companies for knowingly allowing people to die. [0] https://www.vox.com/2015/9/22/9372519/parnell-sentencing https://www.vox.com/2015/9/22/9372519/parnell-sentencing [1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-massey-energy-ceo/former-u-s-coal-ceo-gets-year-in-prison-for-blast-that-killed-29-idUSKCN0X324W https://www.reuters.com/article/us-massey-energy-ceo/former-...

close04 7y ago

I wasn't suggesting that either VW's, GM's, or Boeing's CEOs actually go to prison for "killing" anyone but rather for "knowingly allowing such issues to directly kill". And as the GM example stands to show, it's not particularly hard to get away with this in the US if you are the CEO of a powerful company.

ryanlol 7y ago
Can you provide examples of CEOs of less powerful companies not getting away with this? Your comment seems to necessitate examples of such.
- close04 7y ago
  A gogle helped me here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-10-ceos-in-prison-whyd-they-do-it/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-10-ceos-in-prison-whyd-they... Given that Boeing and GM are/were some of the most powerful in the US stands to reason that most companies will fall under the "less powerful" characterization. But I think my point was clear already: the more powerful the company, the more clout they have when it comes to keeping their CEOs out of prison. whether or not this is doable for smaller players is irrelevant when talking about a heavyweight like Boeing.
  - Aaargh20318 7y ago
    I can't help but notice that all these are examples of CEO's going to prison for making rich people less rich. None a single one for making poor people dead.
    - close04 7y ago
      > I can't help but notice Then I'm sure you also noticed none of this makes my point* less valid. Despite the wave of downvotes (which are probably aimed at me explicitly mentioning the US) I can't see any rebuttal of something I actually said: *Given the precedents (like the GM scandal), CEOs of big/powerful companies (Boeing) in the US (where Boeing "lives") will pretty much get away with anything, including knowingly allowing hundreds to die (which Boeing/CEO did). Later edit: > simply trying to lockup CEOs I don't think is the right way to go. Indeed, it's just a good first step. The very same companies and CEOs will always fight any legal changes that would further a culture of safety first because that usually hurts the bottom line.
      - ryanlol 7y ago
        > Then I'm sure you also noticed none of this makes my point* less valid But you don’t have a single example of less powerful executives going to prison in situations comparable to the one we’re discussing, right?
        close04 7y ago
        You keep asking a question that is barely tangential to what I said but avoiding to make an actual point. But because I have a suspicion that you're attempting to disprove my point by attacking something I didn't say, I'll google that for you too: > A CEO just got 28 years in prison after 9 people died from his salmonella-tainted peanuts; Parnell had committed "conspiracy to defraud" consumers by knowingly shipping salmonella-tainted peanut products [0] > Former U.S. coal CEO gets year in prison for blast that killed 29; Blankenship was found guilty of one misdemeanor charge of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards in relation to the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion [1] So obviously they can convict CEOs of lesser companies for knowingly allowing people to die. [0] https://www.vox.com/2015/9/22/9372519/parnell-sentencing https://www.vox.com/2015/9/22/9372519/parnell-sentencing [1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-massey-energy-ceo/former-u-s-coal-ceo-gets-year-in-prison-for-blast-that-killed-29-idUSKCN0X324W https://www.reuters.com/article/us-massey-energy-ceo/former-...