Air France pays an advance of $24K per family member to the relatives of those on Flight 447. And an Minneapolis jury sets the price of downloading an illegal MP3 at $80,000 per file.
I'm not condoning illegal downloads or plane fatalities here, but I am asking - what's going on when society's values are set this way?
I Agree...
It's absolutely crazy! Society is opaque. To the average citizen the unfairness of society is hidden behind artificial justifications and 'official policies'; illusions like 'one law for all', 'fair' compensation and (in NZ) a 'social security safety net'. These hide the massive bias favoring the rich and privileged that is 'built in' social and economic systems both global and national.
I think people get freaked out by terms like 'hegemony'. In fact all it really refers to is how the wool is pulled over our eyes, how we are tricked and sedated by government and business rhetoric, how the rich can make billions and control governments while others have no choice but to work like slaves.
It's only outcomes like the one you highlight that explicitly show what injustice the system perpetrates.