High crime and Misdemeanors

It is often said that "crime does not pay", but that old wives tale has been debunked time and time again. The truth is "small crimes do not pay." It really pays to be part of a criminal conspiracy looking to separate millions from their cash. Don't deal or smuggle drugs; become a kingpin of cocaine or some other high society drug (crack and weed gets you actual time).

I give this advice as someone who, at times, even hates jay walking. I am learning though that small time guys get vilified big-time but big-time guys get cushy quarters.

Let's say I was a thug who stole a purse or four or four hundred and knocked a few heads in; i would get some shitty cell with a repressed guy named Deebo. What would the damage be? Some people's lunch money or expensive jacket or their week's paycheck; I would rightly be put in the slammer. Let's say i instead used my company to steal those very same people's retirement, as well as their kid's college fund and made them lose their home to boot; i would get part of a 700 billion bailout.

Let's look at another example. If i were a Japanese fighter in ww2 and i tortured Americans for the safety of my "homeland." I would be put to death when evidence was brought. If instead I: started an illegal war on false pretenses, led to the deaths of thousands (some say millions) of people, indefinitely detained and tortured suspects, lost/stole millions of dollars on fraud and waste; I may have a shoe thrown at me.