Scandals suggest standards have slipped in corporate America
Boeing faces claims that it sold 737 max planes with dangerous software. It says it is ātaking actions to fully ensure the safety of the 737 maxā. Criminal charges have been filed against Goldman Sachs in Malaysia for its role in arranging $6.5bn of debt for a state-run fund that engaged in fraud. Goldman says it is co-operating with investigators. A jury in California has just found that Monsanto failed to warn a customer that its weedkiller could, allegedly, cause cancer. Bayer, a German firm which bought Monsanto in June, says it will appeal the verdict.
Wells Fargo, one of Americaās biggest banks, has admitted creating 3.5m unauthorised bank accounts. It says it is working to ārebuild trust with our stakeholdersā. Facebook is ensnared in scandals; its data practices have come under scrutiny in several countries. The firm says āwe need a more active role for governments and regulatorsā. Some 146m customers of Equifax, a credit-scoring firm, had their personal details stolen in 2017. It is being sued for negligence, according to its annual report. A recent document for its investors says protecting information is āour highest priorityā.
Then there is the opioid epidemic, which involves not only Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, but also, according to a lawsuit by New Yorkās attorney-general, other firms including McKesson and Johnson & Johnson. Purdue says it is ādeeply concernedā about opioid addiction. Last year McKesson also said it is ādeeply concernedā by the epidemic and that its board has āenhanced oversight procedures related to opioid distributionā. Johnson & Johnson says it is ācommitted to ensuring its medicines are used correctly".
ad nauseum
https://www.economist.com/business/2019 ... te-america
The list goes on. If you want quantity and your child to get arsenic poisoning, buy Made in America. If you want quality, buy Huawei.