My question regarding ethics is dead serious.
Much of the damage caused by the Subprime industry could have been prevented if there weren't so many complicit folks in IT/IS who were doing this:
Integrity and Ethics 101 should be part of every CS curriculum. Until it is, you and your classmates will have to teach yourselves, and each other.
A Republic is a system of Government characterized by the Rule of Law.
What kind of system will you create? What kind of system will you allow?
It's in your hands, and in your code.