z31maniac wrote: I would typically agree, except it seems this time it put our soldiers lives on the line.
I am not in any way supportive of this scumbag.
However, let's look at this.
Shouldn't the governments and military organizations he sold these things to have SOME CLUE about how to analyze and determine what they are buying?
Why would they spend that kind of change without EVER having a demonstration of the product, or having their own experts look hard at it?
Caveat emptor applies when you buy a POS parts car, but not if you are a government or military who is responsible for the health and safety of your soldiers?
Yes you are correct, soldiers lives were put at risk (apparently not US). But it was their own governments that gave them the shaft.
IMHO, the guy is nothing more than a slick salesman selling a worthless product. A sleazy one. But if it is true that the product NEVER worked, then he didn't even commit fraud. He made a slick sales pitch, and some morons bought his product.
If he had presented a WORKING model of the product, then substituted non-working units for sale, it would have been fraud. But if the thing NEVER worked, somebody is a moron, and he is a slick salesman who has figured out an angle to make a lot of money...
Many of us have worked for companies where we do the exact same thing.
Ever bought Slick 50? I have done some business with the owner, who readily admits it is snake oil. But some folks love it, and he has made hundreds of millions on it. I'll bet many of you have bought it. I have.
Of course, there is the whole "no harm" issue. While Slick 50 offers no measurable benefit, it also does no harm. On this issue, I find this guy a complete failure, and would love to see him rot.
But it pisses me off when the people who are responsible for decision making and buying a product that puts troops in harm's way run away with their tail between their legs blaming "the scumbag that sold us that thing" and hiding under legal cover when it is time to accept responsibility for their own failures as well. Shameful.