Re: Congress' reaction to AIG bonuses -- am I the only one concerned?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk () gsp org>
Date: March 22, 2009 9:21:18 AM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: Mac McKnight <dmcknight15 () comcast net>
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:       Congress' reaction to AIG bonuses -- am I  
the only one concerned?

> But that is a broader issue, concerning what is
> excessive compensation for our society as a whole.  Rich Kulawiec?s
> comments, while they point out flaws in our values for compensating
> people,
> takes no consideration for the compensation of those who take risks to
> create wealth.

Exactly what risks are those?  Who, among AIG's executives, is currently
dealing with long-term unemployment, filing for bankruptcy while living
in a tent and going completely without medical care because they have
no insurance?

Certainly plenty of the victims of their appalling greed and hubris are
doing exactly that as I type this.  Yet the executives of AIG, who have
orchestrated one of the most catastrophic financial failures in our  
history,
are still living in their palatial estates in Connecticut: comfortable,
secure, wealthy, and safe.

I'm sure the millions of people who are penniless, homeless, and sick  
would
be delighted to assume the weighty burden of such a "risk".  I'd sure  
like
to be able to fail on an epic scale at my job and be lavishly rewarded
with bonuses that exceed the lifetime income of most of my fellow  
citizens.

Where do I sign up for this "risk"?

> Without these ?doofuses?, we would all be much poorer.

Have you not noticed that -- thanks to these doofuses -- millions of
people CAN'T be much poorer.


Oh, and re "creating wealth":

Merely moving money around does not "create wealth".  This is a bald- 
faced
lie propagated by...those who merely move money around.   Weath is  
created
by dreamers, and researchers, and inventors, and scientists, and  
engineers.
Those who merely manipulate money are worthless parasites.  They're as
disposable as yesterday's coffee grounds -- and are hoping like hell
that we don't figure this out and act on it.

Their "bonus" is that we've very generously -- so far -- allowed them to
keep breathing.  They should pray to their gods that we don't  
reconsider.

---Rsk





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