Obviously this man has done the wrong thing, but it pales in comparison to the crimes of the so-called elite classes who have been ripping people off in large numbers for millenia.
Petty criminals were sent to the 'colonies' as slave labour or killed in the past, however in more recent times they were kept in check via social security payments from the taxpaying public. More recently with the massive and ongoing expansion of surveillance we are seeing vast cut backs in pensions in both Europe and the UK, combined with a verbal bashing towards those who have been recipients of such payments. The withdrawal of benefits from seriously ill and disabled pensioners in Britain has made the agenda clear. The slashing of superannuation benefits in many countries has begun. Fifty percent cuts to promised pension entitlements, from government pension funds to which recipients had paid money throughout their working lives (like our super schemes) in the US has also occurred following the GFC. The banksters and other multinational companies however received windfall payments whether they wanted them or not, Wells Fargo being an example of a company which tried to refuse payment and failed.
Australian current affairs programs repeatedly make an issue of people who defraud Centrelink as if the majority of recipients are like that. There has been some blatant and consistent corruption at high levels in this country, but little focus there. The following illustrates my point:
