Episode description

Parisian poet Anatole France said "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.”

He was poeting about how laws penalize desperate actions borne of need while largely ignoring crimes inspired by greed. We've all heard stories about people spending years in prison or being killed for stealing food, while corporations that rob employees of breaks and overtime pay get off with a fine. We always assumed the corporations got off easy due to a combination of hiring expensive lawyers and the difficultness of deciding who to lock up when an entire company is at fault.

Turns out the real answer is worse: In most states, wage theft has no carceral penalty. Nobody goes to jail for stealing from workers. Victims of wage theft have to file a civil suit to get their money back. Most people can't afford to sue, so plenty of perpetrators don't even have the blemish of a lawsuit on their record. How many celebrity entrepreneurs and big name companies would be out of business if they faced the same consequences for stealing that everyone else does?

This Friday, Pam & Dyalekt are back with the real on wage theft and what people are doing to keep employers accountable, plus a few indie rap songs about who the real thieves are. #changethesystem #inequity #financialliteracy #financialabuse #letsdobetter

Music Featured in This Episode:
Real Thieves Wear Suits by Rebel Allianz
W.A.G.E.S. by James Ray
Thrift Shop by Mister Waugh