In other news last week, HSBC said it would pay a record $1.9 billion settlement [1] as the U.S. Department of Justice decided not to indict the London-based company on allegations that it laundered billions of dollars in international drug cartel money. Are worries that prosecuting such a large company might destabilize the world economy enough to not hold its executives responsible for any possible criminal actions, particularly when untold numbers of individuals are prosecuted for the same crimes?
Links:
[1] http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/hsbc-said-to-near-1-9-billion-settlement-over-money-laundering/