[zmgsabst]

Sure — but that’s already substantially back-pedaling from “the ends justify the means” as a general policy.

And by that same argument, arbitrarily lynching some of the corrupt actors — despite knowing that everyone is operating in such gray areas and such things are necessary — is the counterbalancing force to that necessary corruption. The tension and friction which makes it work. You define the gray area through those prosecutions at the edges.

Each foray into the gray zone becomes a risk — and so only the necessary ones are made, rather than normalizing a culture of corruption.

Without that, you have all slip and no stick, so the machine falls apart. Which is what we see in the US IC (and businesses): too much lubricating corruption; not enough punishment. Taken too far “out of tolerance”, the machine becomes broken or even dangerous to keep operating — and so must be replaced entirely.

If you want to tell me you have the wisdom to operate in such gray areas, then you should be aware of that necessary reality too.