American businesses don't avoid (domestic) child labor because it's illegal, they avoid it because the potential charges for getting caught make the whole endeavor unprofitable.
In this case, they were emitting less carbon than advertised. Should we pay them a refund?
Details: outside of test scenarios, the engine control system ran the engine hotter and with less diesel emissions fluid which resulted in better fuel efficiency (less carbon) and more conversion of atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen to Nitrogen Oxides (bad for people).
Maybe these executives should be prosecuted hard for their decisions.
Yeah, but what if the CEOs moved on? Or secured their profits?
I think carbon tax is the way to go, but on top of that we need criminal justice.
What does this mean within the context of tax evasion?
> we need criminal justice
There is a reason Al Capone was booked on tax evasion. Showing an executive wilfully defrauded a test is difficult. Responsibility is too diffuse. Proving tax fraud is much easier—executives personally sign off on books.
Imagine if somebody proposed taxing terrorist organizations for killing people. When they get caught, the CEO would get his bonus and retire, the organization would either go bankrupt or bailed out by the government because of its importance, and a VP could register the next company, hiring all his ex-colleagues who were just executing company orders.
I imagine the money from taxing power companies and such could go back into helping pay a portion of the bills of those who've had their rates increased.