One can only conclude that the VW engineers were uniquely immoral, since they have a safety net and nonetheless committed massive scale fraud. At least in America it's coercion. In Europe, it's willful evil.

Countrapoint is that these dilemas are NOT dilemas of poor people struggling to feed their kids.They are dilemmas of well doing middle class who in fact, can find another job.

Seriously, we hear the "but the job, but the potential pay raise" exactly as often in a good economy from people having large salaries.

They have choice. They are choosing the fraud over ... still high salary but just not that high.

That safety net does not extend to paying the interest on your house loan.

When unemployment benefits are a large percentage of your salary and last a year plus it does

It does in some places. Firstly banks will usually let you pause or significantly reduce mortgage payments while unemployed. You then make up for it with increased payments (for a period of time) when you regain employment. There is also government help in the form of a loan to pay the interest on your mortgage while unemployed if you've been unemployed for a certain period of time (longer than the bank grace period).