the show in DC is just bread and circus to keep us entertained.

Costing them money is costing them what is most dear to them.

incarceration is still far, far worse. I'm too lazy to look it up today, but I've read that when white-collar crime is punished with incarceration, it has an inhibiting influence upon other potential white-collar criminals - more so than any other type of crime, including those that may earn the perpetrator a trip to death row.

They laugh all the way to the bank when the shareholders pick up the tab.

as I know the possibility of fines are of no consequence either to the officers of the company or to the shareholders, who made out literally like bandits in spite of the paltry fines that may or may not be imposed.

pay the fine with other peoples money, rather do the crime do the time and pay restitution is apparently the new standard for top tier corporate felons.

To be expected.

Therefore the people in corporations can't be people

and can't be held responsible.

then left to suffocate on its own blood.

which I don't intend to do; I'm interested in the process, and hope the public can understand what goes into such a case.

The government has to prove its case, and doing so will entail citing and proving specific acts by individuals. We know that S&P is a corporation, made up of individuals who do good and bad acts. The individuals we'd like to see punished must be proven to have been responsible; this is part of the trial process. It will take time. I know that the foundation for this case has been underway for some years.

I expect there are many individuals and individual acts in the developing trial and evidence record, as many acts and decisions occurred during the time period at issue. It would not be rational publicly to name any individuals at this point.

Then there would be no trial process.

I guess that's reserved for people who don't give them campaign contributions and not their good buddies at S&P. Though there's really no way to tell if Al Quada gave them contribution through a PAC or not.

but I do know that this particular matter has been in the works for at least 2-3 years.

Steal a lot, and they make you king.
- Bob Dylan
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.
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Government officials who let them off the hook are traitors who deserve prison and more.

SDIs is what William K. Black called Standard & Poor's and its cousins -- Systemically Dangerous Institutions:

http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2011/08/nprs-robert-siegel-interviews-william-k.html

Gee. I'm so old I remember when the Justice Department went after crooked banks and such.

They will lose because I believe this suit is charging that S & P gave citi and BoA fraudulent rating on their toxic derivatives. On their own worthless junk. They (the banks) didn't know the assets were toxic? They needed SP to tell them? They are probably the ones who bribed S and P to give them the good ratings in the first place.
they are all crooks. Its not worth even pointing it out anymore...

JFK last night.
The prosecutor was convinced that this was a coup de tat of the American Govt.
He was right.

Then they can go to jail ,stop earning income ,meet Bendover or suffer the death penalty.......this really is a rigged game !