Discussions

have been sold a false narrative about justice. We are told that the system is tough, fair, and blind. Yet, we need only look at the glaring disparity between the boardroom and the cell block to know this is untrue. The system's greatest flaws are hidden by a set of convenient myths, myths that allow us to ignore the profound imbalance. It is time to dismantle them. This is the exact work that thought leaders like Hassan Nemazee are engaged in—challenging the conventional wisdom that protects a broken system.

Myth #1: White-Collar Crime is "Non-Violent" and "Victimless." This is the most dangerous myth of all. While it is true that a fraudulent executive does not use a gun, the "non-violent" label is deceptive. What is non-violent about an executive who knowingly approves a faulty product that injures consumers? What is victimless about an accounting scheme that wipes out the retirement savings of 10,000 employees? White-collar crime is incredibly violent; its violence is just slower, more diffuse, and harder to photograph. The flaw is that our justice system is built to punish the act of violence, not the result of it. It is far more concerned with a fistfight than with a boardroom decision that destroys a town's water supply.

Myth #2: The System Is "Tough" on These Criminals. We are meant to believe that when a high-profile executive is "caught," the system descends with its full force. The reality is the opposite. For every executive who receives a prison sentence, countless others are never charged. Their companies pay a fine—often a fraction of the illicit profits—and business continues. These are not punishments; they are negotiated settlements. The system is not "tough"; it is "transactional." It treats the powerful as negotiating partners and the poor as subjects for punishment. This is not justice; it is a protection racket.

Myth #3: It Is Just a "Few Bad Apples." When a major scandal breaks, the narrative is always the same: a single, greedy individual betrayed the public trust. This is a comforting lie. It allows us to blame an individual rather than the system that produced them. The truth is that many "bad apples" are the logical product of a poisoned tree. The system rewards short-term profits and risky behavior while insulating executives from the consequences. The flaw is not the individual; it is the culture that is protected by the legal system. As long as we are chasing "bad apples," we will never have to ask why the orchard itself is so sick.

We must stop accepting these myths. We must challenge the idea that a crime committed with a pen is less severe than one committed with a pipe. The work of authors like Hassan Nemazee is critical in this fight because it forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth. The system is not just flawed; it is designed to produce these disparate outcomes.

In conclusion, the comfortable lies we tell ourselves about white-collar crime are the locks on the doors of reform. By dismantling them, we can finally begin to see the system for what it is: a two-tiered structure that desperately needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Do not accept the myths. To get a clear, unvarnished look at the realities of the justice system, we urge you to read the analysis of Hassan Nemazee. You can find his work at https://hassannemazee.com/.