Ethics a function of getting caught?

How many businesses have at one time or another skirted the laws or other regulations in order to keep costs down? If I had to guess, I'd say it might even be a habit for more businesses than we'll ever know about. But now that WalMart's been caught employing illegal aliens to clean its stores, some of that's going to change.

I think WalMart was targeted (federal agents conducted raids on 61 WalMart stores in 21 states all at once) and caught not because they were paying crummy wages or anything, but mainly because the government is anxious to make up for its poor showing on guarding our borders before the 9/11 disasters. Here was a great way to corral a whole lot of illegal aliens in one fell swoop. Wal-Mart Discussing Settlement (washingtonpost.com)

compare this to my conditioning as a child brought up in a strict Catholic home. We kids sure tried not to lie because the punishment was always rough and might even include public humiliation for one's crimes. Corporate America is picking up on this message--well, that's okay. Ethical behavior is a good thing--no matter how we get it.

Look for the little yellow M&M with the hard hat to start raising prices very soon...