Think 9/11. I can trump that with Bhopal where Union Carbide killed many more people. Just this week the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon was topped by the West Fertilizer Company blowing up in Texas.
Massey Energy killed 29 of 31 miners at its Upper Big Branch Mine in one afternoon in 2010. In 2011, Jensen Farms killed 30 people with contaminated melons. A cruise ship owned by the American company Carnival Cruises killed 32 tourists when her captain ran her aground in Italian waters.
Each of these corporate terror attacks are officially excused as accidents. They are really the reckless disregard of health and safety in the pursuit of profit. Punishment for these crimes is seldom swift and often non-existent.
Union Carbide
Union Carbide had over $7 billion in revenue in 2009. It is a wholly owned, and very profitable, subsidiary of Dow Chemical. While seven men were found guilty of minor crimes in India for the Bhopal killings, none has seen the inside of a jail for even one hour let alone their two year sentences. The big local fish, Keshub Mahindra, has seen his net worth grow exponentially since Bhopal. He is now worth over half a billion dollars.
In 1984, the Union Carbide CEO was arrested in India, not for his crimes but to protect him from lynching by outraged Bhopal survivors. He was only indicted for manslaughter after he had returned the the United States and the US government has diligently protected him from extradition for 22 years.
Massey Energy
Massey's CEO, Don Blankenship, has used extensive campaign contributions to legally buy politicians and judges wherever Massey has coal mines. Massey had revenues of $2.69 billion in 2009. A handful of middle managers were made to take the fall for their bosses.
Jensen Farms
The farm has gone in the bankruptcy and the owners have paid small fines. Federal criminal charges have been fruitlessly "pending" for two years.
Carnival Cruises
Carnival had net revenue over $15 billion in 2012. Until very recently they were refusing to pay the cost of rescuing their stranded ship. They only changed their minds when Sen. Jay Rockefeller threatened congressional hearings. Carnival CEO, Mickey Arison, has a net worth of $5.9 billion. Regardless the number of deaths and other crimes committed by Carnival Cruise representatives no criminal charges have even been filed against their executives.
I could go on and cover lesser felonies like grand theft, extortion, and fraud but then I would be writing forever.
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