The Shield of Morality

According to Peter Thiel in his talk on American Optimist, the cost of digging a tunnel in Manhattan is said to be ten times that of Paris. This abnormal pricing is not due to Manhattan's geographic challenges but rather the corruption of tunnel companies and their collusion with mafia forces. However, Elon Musk claimed that through The Boring Company, he could build tunnels at one-tenth the cost of Paris — that is, at just 1% of the prices quoted by traditional American tunnel firms. This directly challenged and exposed the corruption entrenched in the existing tunnel industry.

On this topic, Peter Thiel uses the term "the shield of morality." The more corrupt a group is, the more fiercely it wraps itself in a shield of morality to justify its actions and costs. Yet, paradoxically, these are often the most corrupt of all. If you think about it, it has always been this way. Legitimate companies openly display their profit structures, and there’s no need for abnormal collusion or hidden cash flows. In contrast, those who have much to conceal always rely on lofty causes — they need justification. They erect a shield of morality, claiming they act in the name of the nation, human rights, the environment, or some agenda, in order to obscure the reality of their operations.

The problem is that while this moral shield is visible to the public, the corruption behind it is not easily detected. Often, uncovering such rot requires national-level investigations or the intervention of powerful prosecutorial forces. For cases to escalate to police investigations, they must first be recognized as criminally suspicious — but when everyone is complicit and no victim comes forward, recognizing the crime becomes difficult. For such probes to begin, there needs to be public outcry or a connection to an ongoing major investigation that gives it legitimacy. But even when investigations start, challenges persist: corrupt forces can detect the start of probes through leaks from police and prosecutor networks. They then exert external pressure, fabricate new justifications, delay or cancel investigations, or demote the officials in charge.

In the end, those conducting the investigations are forced to battle enemies hidden in the shadows, while their own weaknesses are fully exposed — this is why police and prosecutors are so vulnerable to corruption. Structurally, they are poorly protected, have little to gain, and much to lose.

To me, the solution is simple: whenever you see a loud moral shield gaining public attention, it is almost certain that corruption lurks behind it. Whether it’s a famous celebrity championing a cause or a government agency, local authority, or corporation — the same rule applies. A clear and strong profit model is attractive in itself and doesn’t need to hide behind moral pretense; in fact, erecting such a shield usually lowers profitability. People who have a great source of income would never foolishly reveal their profit strategies. They simply wouldn't. On the other hand, those who shout the loudest about noble causes are often the ones planning the dirtiest deeds.

Detective work that fails tends to focus only on the visible shield of morality. But when you get close enough — uncomfortably close — to these collusive networks, their true nature and horrors are grotesque beyond words. I want to cheer for those who fight against them. Even if their efforts go unseen, it's thanks to them that society manages to keep corruption somewhat in check, and through their sacrifices, the majority benefits.