Closing the barn door after the horse is gone.
This weekend Kenneth Lay, founder of Enron corp. and mastermind of the largest corporate scandal (to date) in American history, died of a heart attack in his Aspen home (yep, the one he bought with that money he claimed not to have in bankruptcy court).
Thus far, every take on this story by our print and broadcast media has either confused or sickened me. Especially this little gem:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202251,00.html
The re-injection of interest in this story now that the subject has died, is (for me) the most infuriating part of this sorry debacle.
Years have passed since this man robbed his employees, denied it, bogged down the court system, hid his ill-gotten money, and went on living the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed.
During this span he mocked us, thumbing his nose all the while. He told us through that "who-me?" look of his, that the rules don't apply to him, only the "small-folk" (apologies to G.R.R.M.)have to pay for their crimes.
And you know what?
He was right.
Because we have short memories, prefer complacency, and are cowards.
So now he has died...and suddenly he's the monster again.
And that truly sucks, because the exact inverse should have been the actions of our media. While he walked this Earth unpunished our journalists and news-people had an obligation to demonize and dog him every day. And continued until the moment Death took the burden from our hands.
Instead, they faded away losing interest as we did. Then quickened the story after it was no longer their job to do so. Quite frankly its disgusting.
And that's the real crux here.
I do not hate Ken Lay anymore.
Oh sure, I still find abhorrent his actions and the consequences others paid for his crimes. I am especially irked that our justice system proved impotent to ensnare so salient an example of corpulent, criminal greed. Greed bloated beyond my capacity to even understand it.
But the hatred of the man himself is all gone. As is my need to hear his name righteously befouled in every daily paper and to see justice rendered to him in an American court.
All of that is departed because it is no longer in my hands. The obligation to work toward a just end as regards this man has been claimed by another. Rallying the masses now is pointless and pathetic.
In my belief, Kenneth Lay has already stood trial in some courtroom I cannot imagine. Testified in front of a judge who knows EVERYTHING and cannot be bought, enamored, or lied to. And finally, punished in so horrific a manner, that I wouldn't want to understand it even if I had the capacity to. This sentence will go on INFINITELY with no possibility of reprieve or parole...Not ever. All I have left for him is pity and sorrow.
Even this "divine justice" though can never return the pensions and savings and dreams of retirement that were stolen from the workers of Enron. That was our job. And we fuckin' blew it.
Thus far, every take on this story by our print and broadcast media has either confused or sickened me. Especially this little gem:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202251,00.html
The re-injection of interest in this story now that the subject has died, is (for me) the most infuriating part of this sorry debacle.
Years have passed since this man robbed his employees, denied it, bogged down the court system, hid his ill-gotten money, and went on living the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed.
During this span he mocked us, thumbing his nose all the while. He told us through that "who-me?" look of his, that the rules don't apply to him, only the "small-folk" (apologies to G.R.R.M.)have to pay for their crimes.
And you know what?
He was right.
Because we have short memories, prefer complacency, and are cowards.
So now he has died...and suddenly he's the monster again.
And that truly sucks, because the exact inverse should have been the actions of our media. While he walked this Earth unpunished our journalists and news-people had an obligation to demonize and dog him every day. And continued until the moment Death took the burden from our hands.
Instead, they faded away losing interest as we did. Then quickened the story after it was no longer their job to do so. Quite frankly its disgusting.
And that's the real crux here.
I do not hate Ken Lay anymore.
Oh sure, I still find abhorrent his actions and the consequences others paid for his crimes. I am especially irked that our justice system proved impotent to ensnare so salient an example of corpulent, criminal greed. Greed bloated beyond my capacity to even understand it.
But the hatred of the man himself is all gone. As is my need to hear his name righteously befouled in every daily paper and to see justice rendered to him in an American court.
All of that is departed because it is no longer in my hands. The obligation to work toward a just end as regards this man has been claimed by another. Rallying the masses now is pointless and pathetic.
In my belief, Kenneth Lay has already stood trial in some courtroom I cannot imagine. Testified in front of a judge who knows EVERYTHING and cannot be bought, enamored, or lied to. And finally, punished in so horrific a manner, that I wouldn't want to understand it even if I had the capacity to. This sentence will go on INFINITELY with no possibility of reprieve or parole...Not ever. All I have left for him is pity and sorrow.
Even this "divine justice" though can never return the pensions and savings and dreams of retirement that were stolen from the workers of Enron. That was our job. And we fuckin' blew it.