[frgtpsswrdlame]

>I do see it differently when a companies transparently refuses to obey a law and accepts a fine vs when a company lies

So your position is that it's worse to lie about breaking the law than it is to actually break it? I'm not sure I understand where you're coming from.

Besides I'm really just asking about the analogy. I think if someone posted "Show HN: My color-changing, license-plate-detecting, HOA-fine-avoiding lawn ornament" we'd all be in there yucking it up at the genius of it. But when VW does the same thing (by your analogy) we're in threads talking about much more serious topics, like individual moral culpability. My point is that your analogy is flawed, it doesn't hold up.

[summer_steven]

You CAN break the law if you are okay accepting the punishment.

A good instance is jaywalking: it's a minor offense and police don't really care to enforce it. So people decide to break that law all the time.

A law is a contract. Anyone is free to break the contract if they are willing to accept the consequences.