Inventing a crime...

when you can't punish criminals for what they have actually done is nothing new. Al Capone was jailed for tax evasion, when his crimes were smuggling, murdering, racketeering... well, no one created a new crime (of tax evasion) just to frame Al Capone. The crime was already there and the justice system in US just made use of what it could to get the man.

But i have just realized how countries can just invent crimes to try and catch people that escape the usual offences considered under the law. And it is actually a good thing that you can do such maneuvers -- otherwise, criminals just escape unpunished.

This is what has been created (not today, a few years ago, but still) by an international convention that establishes that any public official who lives beyond his or her means may be called to the courts to explain the origins of his or her life style. (If you can't prove the guy is a thief, make him prove his multi-millon dollar house was paid with legitimate money, out of his 5000 USD/month salary). It is a great improvement -- though i am sure dodgy politicians will find a way around it. And authoritarian states will just use it against targeted people (the opposition or anyone who speaks up).

----

Mood: proud that the Economist's journalist picked up the stuff i have been working on.Today, i am going to read the Economist with gusto.