Imo, the source of "American exceptionalism" (to the extent there is such a thing) is that we have less corruption than most of the world. Cynics will point to the DNC or Trump or maybe what we assume they must be doing in the c-suite in the supermajors. And sometimes they'll be right. But, mostly we have less corruption than most countries, and corruption is a big drag on their economies and governments which is why we can be successful. I understand the rationale that FCPA disadvantages US businesses. In some places, bribes are de rigeur and we will necessarily lose deals because of its enforcement. At the same time though, in aggregate we succeed as a country because we don't tolerate corruption.
For sure, any major corporation has a large compliance department. Nobody wants their employees swanning about like pirates. Corruption/bribery needs to be thoughtful and calculated. Major corporations do engage in bribery and other corrupt practices regularly. I doubt that fact crosses most Americans mind. It's true though. Just google "*Major company* Corruption" and you'll probably land on something and that's just what has been caught and prosecuted. Which, as we know, probably represents a very small sample of what's actually going on out there. Just look around Houston --> BP Total Shell Chevron Haliburton Schlumberger Weatherford Exxon Kinder Morgan JP Morgan Chase Bank Occidental All have been hit with fines for bribery/corruption. Those are just some Houston or Houston associated names off the top of my head while I'm sitting here.
Seems like we need a President like Warren, not someone who lives and embraces this type of culture like Trump.
O&G companies have to deal with some of the worst political regimes on earth and bribery is seen as a cost of doing business there.
Your @Cohete Rojo quote would seem to support the idea that Trump voters could be okay with Trump making a deal even if it makes him look like a hypocrite. Him aside though, I don't think its the Trumpers driving the bus anyway, I think it's Trump's pathology. While you have some influencers who will dog Trump for not being extreme enough, most Trumpers seem adept at finding reasons why whatever Trump did was the best course of action (which is a human trait, not something particular to Trumpers). And Trump is pretty good at steering the crowd too. It's not that they have no effect, but its pliable. I think Trump can't make deals because he's such a narcissist that he cannot psychologically accept losing. And, in a compromise you give up some of what you want in order to make a deal. It might be the rational thing, but that partial loss is not acceptable to him. So, his conception of negotiating is not finding a compromise in which all parties surrender something so they can make a deal. He thinks negotiating is finding or making leverage over your counterparty and using it to make them surrender. If you can't make them surrender, then no deal can be made.
Actually, I took that CR quote to mean compromise meant being a hypocrite (which I disagree with... I have changed my mind many times without thinking I was a hypocrite)... and was in alignment with what the article also concluded, that trump was not effective at making deals because he would not be willing to compromise.
I think this is most exemplified in the "border crisis". The influx of migrants are coming from Central America and are voluntarily giving themselves up to border agents to seek asylum. This a totally different problem than drug runners and human traffickers. Trump being a hard headed Buffon wants to seem "tough on immigration" and hiring more immigration judges to meet the demand of processing these asylum claims even though would solve many of these problems unfortunately don't have an outward appearance of "tough" to our lowest common denominator voting base: the Trump supporter. Trump's obsession with outward appearance is a large part of why these deals can't be done.
To be honest, its really not important enough. But if you want him to respond, write something positive about Islam or Mexico...
