# Rich people don't go to prison **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071 "2014-04-01T13:05:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/41 "2014-04-02T03:46:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Turned? When _haven’t_ the rich been above the rule of law in this country? I think there was this one brief period between 1932 and 1936 . . . ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/42 "2014-04-02T03:48:00Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Are we the _only_ country where immense wealth can buy your way out of trouble? Not the **only,** just the **best!** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/43 "2014-04-02T03:49:21Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Is there some wonderful country out there where justice is pristine? Iceland, probably, but not _very_ probably. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/44 "2014-04-02T03:51:57Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > I believe the Netherlands are pretty well-known for lack of corruption, fair courts, and non-deification of the rich. Well, I guess we’d better legalize pot and prostitution, then, and a damned shame we didn’t do it sooner! :o ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/45 "2014-04-02T04:29:42Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > In general, broadly-speaking, the citizens of most European countries are not as focused on wealth as an absolute determiner of personal worth compared to the US. They tend to be a bit more focused on art, culture, etc. than Americans. Is that why they chose to protect Polanski from justice? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/46 "2014-04-02T04:47:54Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Is that why they chose to protect Polanski from justice? Claude Hooper Bukowski Finds that it’s groovy To hide in a movie Pretends he’s Fellini And Antonioni And also his countryman Roman Polanski All rolled into one One Claude Hooper Bukowski Manchester England England Across the Atlantic Sea And I’m a genius genius I believe in God And I believe that God Believes in Claude That’s me, that’s me! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/47 "2014-04-02T05:25:09Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > After all, this guy had been raping his daughter for years. Yeah, but it was _fourth_ degree rape. Do we really have to make a big deal out of _fourth_ degree rape? Are we going to go after jaywalkers next? I mean, c’mon. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/48 "2014-04-02T07:12:21Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > I believe the Netherlands are pretty well-known for lack of corruption, fair courts, and non-deification of the rich. In general, broadly-speaking, the citizens of most European countries are not as focused on wealth as an absolute determiner of personal worth compared to the US. They tend to be a bit more focused on art, culture, etc. than Americans. > … And see what happened to the Neanderthals - wiped out by the conniving, corrupt, wealthy ------ huh, what, who? EL// … never-mind //EL;) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/49 "2014-04-02T12:16:53Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Yeah, but it was _fourth_ degree rape. Do we really have to make a big deal out of _fourth_ degree rape? Are we going to go after jaywalkers next? I mean, c’mon. Besides, the probation isn’t the only consequence. With this little peccadillo on his public record, good luck getting even a minimum wage job! ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/50 "2014-04-02T13:06:35Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > No, you’re not. You’re not even surprised. And you have no right to be, either. You caught me. You’re right. After reading a Facebook post from somebody who was blaming Obama because their kid’s school bus was late I shouldn’t be surprised at anything. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/51 "2014-04-02T14:01:53Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > So…are we thinking bribery or extortion? Had to be. I don’t even have the words…he _raped_ a _baby_. This is where “vigilante justice” should make an appearance. Make it so he doesn’t “fare well” in society either. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/52 "2014-04-03T01:24:07Z")
In related news: [Sex offender stabbed twice in the back. Police have no suspects.](http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_25466860/zachary-meints-stabbing-no-suspects) This darn justice system… ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/53 "2014-04-03T11:38:08Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Yeah, this story pretty much tells you all you need to know about America. Exactly-it is precisely the same as all other nations. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/54 "2014-04-03T11:43:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And you have no right to be, either. ??? ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/55 "2014-04-03T12:46:35Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > ??? He’s taken away my right to be amazed in America. That tells you everything you need to know about the Northern Hemisphere. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/56 "2014-04-03T14:54:32Z")
Just keep chanting USA! until the doubts are drowned out. If you don’t think that America is a plutocracy, you haven’t been paying attention and if you think that every other western democracy has sunk to America’s lows, you are equally ill-informed. If you have money, you can fuck babies in America. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/57 "2014-04-03T16:12:07Z")
Folks attacking madmonk: do you believe that the United States is the least corrupt nation on earth? If not, then agreeing with his point–that there are nations less corrupt than ours–is trivial. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/58 "2014-04-03T16:30:57Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Folks attacking madmonk: do you believe that the United States is the least corrupt nation on earth? If not, then agreeing with his point–that there are nations less corrupt than ours–is trivial. His point wasn’t to say that there are nations less corrupt than the US. His point was to be a trolling jagoff and use a child rape to rip on the US. His only “point” is to get a rise out of people. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/59 "2014-04-03T17:40:54Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Folks attacking madmonk: do you believe that the United States is the least corrupt nation on earth? If not, then agreeing with his point–that there are nations less corrupt than ours–is trivial. Thanks for clarifying that. Because I could have sworn his point was to find one example of miscarried justice and use it to define a whole nation. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071/60 "2014-04-03T20:52:27Z")
If Hamlet or Bubbadog are right, then sure, madmonk is wrong. But I’m seeing folks saying stuff like, “Is there some wonderful country out there where justice is pristine?” or “Are we the only country where immense wealth can buy your way out of trouble?” or “Exactly-it is precisely the same as all other nations.” All of those sentiments suggest that nowhere is better than the US re: judicial fairness, and I find that idea dubious. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rich-people-dont-go-to-prison/685071.md?page=4)