Hayden Grimes

UT EID: hpg259
Arorian: T-TH 12:30-2:00
Jack Abramoff Paper
1. The biggest point that this video was trying to get across was that Jack
Abramoff had strong moral and ethical values that he lived his life by, but
while working as a lobbyist he committed countless crimes that he had
convinced himself werent wrong. So many people believe themselves to be
moral and ethical humans and that everyone else around them are unethical.
This causes people to trick their minds into believing that they are far more
ethical than their peers, which in turn make them disregard the concept of
ethics all together. The creators of the video wanted people to realize that
even someone with the most moral belief system can end up hurting those
around them because we forget about ethics.
2.

Many of the things that Abramoff did were highly illegal but its interesting to
see how he was able to commit many unethical acts without breaking the
law. One of the main things that Jack points out is that many times he wasnt
actually bribing politicians but rather they would exchange favors in order for
the politicians vote in crucial congressional decisions. This kind of behavior
crosses the line because instead of using education and ethics to persuade
politicians he would buy their favor through monetary gifts.

3. The political and lobbying system is more corrupt than ever before according
to Jack Abramoff because money buys victories and to many people in this
line of work winning is more important than setting a precedent for others to
come. Jack even says those lobbyists who are trying to educate politicians
through moral arguments rather than using money to their advantage will
lose because thats just how the system is set up. It is so important in politics
to act ethically because you as a politician set the standard for everyone else
in the country and the decisions you make dont just affect you but all
Americans. If our leaders dont make the moral decision because no one else
is, then who will?
4. Most of the white collar crimes that are committed in our society are almost
always centered around money and in the U.S. money has become our
obsession. I believe that so many see white collar crimes as minor issues
because we cant see the long term effect of the crime. When we think of
crime we think of violence and murder which we can see the effects of in just
one picture. But, I believe that many times white collar crimes are much
worse because they affect so many more people. In the video they talk about
how Abramoff stole millions from Native American tribes who are some of the

poorest demographic in the U.S. and need the money they earn the most.
Crimes like this cause public distrust, poverty, and worst of all since they are
committed by our leaders it sets a precedent that this behavior is socially
acceptable.
5. Bringing someone like Jack Abramoff to a university where our future leaders
are learning how to conduct themselves and develop their belief system is a
great tool. His presentation can be extremely eye opening to students like
myself who see themselves as extremely ethical people, but when
competition and arrogance gets the best of you, you can easily make criminal
decisions when the right incentives are presented to you. We are in a time
where power and money are the name of the game and many times these
can cause conflicts of interest that some will overlook because the end
justifies the means.
6. I think it is unfair to say that all lobbyists and politicians are corrupt based off
the Abramoff case but that is not to say that there isnt a fundamental flaw in
the system that has been put in place. I believe that the system and those
who participate in it are both to blame. We cannot fully blame the politicians
because the system allows them to put personal and monetary needs over
the wellbeing of the nation. But, at the same time the politicians and
lobbyists are the ones who are in the position to change this system and set a
standard that this kind of corruption is not acceptable in todays society. Jack
Abramoff paid the ultimate price for the crimes he committed but based off
the events that have followed his conviction we can see that not much has
changed so pinning everything on Abramoff is unfair and unproductive.
7. What Abramoff was saying was that he picked clients who had a cause that
he personally believed in and wanted to fight for. I honestly believe that
Abramoff believed at the time that what he was doing was for the greater
good of the nation. But, what he didnt realize until it was too late was that he
was doing anything in his power, whether it be ethical or unethical, to come
out on top as the moral victor. Essentially he was committing unethical acts
in order to bring victory to his moral cause. The scary part about this is that
we see this kind of behavior everywhere because so many people trick
themselves into believing that they are above morality since the cause they
are fighting for is morally right.
8. I think it is nave to believe that Abramoff is only doing this to better his name
and image. Abramoff doesnt have much to gain from travelling around and
giving speeches since he can never go back to being a lobbyist. One of the
main reasons I believe this is because of the time he spent in jail and
especially solitaire confinement, where he had time to constantly think about
the decisions he made that got him to this point. He even missed the passing
and funeral of his own mother that kind of punishment can really make a

person think. Finally, even if Abramoff is doing this for his own self gains I
believe that the message he is spreading is much more powerful than the
benefits he gets from his speeches.
9. I believe that it is definitely possible to survive and even thrive in todays age
by living your professional and personal life ethically. The business world is
known for being cutthroat and filled with greed but when people see you
make a stand for your beliefs and morals you can go far in life. By leading a
life of morality you may not be able to reach the very top since many of those
who get there do so through wrongdoings but if you truly believe in what you
are doing then you can be satisfied without getting to the very top.