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When you hear about the outrageous accusations against Wall Street icon, now shamed, Bernard Maddoff, regarding his $50 billion Ponzi scheme and the corrupt thinking Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his peddling of Obama's Senate seat, it almost makes you want to bring back the firing squad because their offenses are almost treasonous.Are we not in the midst of a financial battle of historic proportion? If the charges against them hold true, have they not destroyed the lives of thousands of people, not to mention the integrity of both the political and financial systems at a time when our nation is in crises?
Unfortunately, as they used to quip in another time; "hanging is too good for them!"
I have another solution for them and all white collar criminals doing soft time, even if it is a long time, PUT THEM TO WORK!
There are many manufacturing jobs we have exported to foreign countries because we have priced ourselves out of so many markets and we would not be competing with American labor to do so. Putting these felons to work would accomplish many beneficial results.
First of all we would be able to bring jobs home and the criminals would be helping to support the cost of their incarceration. Second we would be helping to balance (note the scales of justice) the trade deficit, which is hurting all of us more each year. Third, these guys need to do work that will help them better understand what it means to actually do an honest day's work. And lastly they could also make some restitution to those they have harmed.
Not to make light of President Bush's recent shoe incident in Iraq but I think the ideal job is to make shoes. I think it would be great if our "resort" jails had contracts with Skechers or Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) to bring their manufacturing home. While Bush showed his agility in avoiding getting hit by the flying shoes, white collar criminals should not be allowed to avoid being hit with a more severe and just penalty.
Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I do not own shares of NKE.
First of all we would be able to bring jobs home and the criminals would be helping to support the cost of their incarceration. Second we would be helping to balance (note the scales of justice) the trade deficit, which is hurting all of us more each year. Third, these guys need to do work that will help them better understand what it means to actually do an honest day's work. And lastly they could also make some restitution to those they have harmed.
Not to make light of President Bush's recent shoe incident in Iraq but I think the ideal job is to make shoes. I think it would be great if our "resort" jails had contracts with Skechers or Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) to bring their manufacturing home. While Bush showed his agility in avoiding getting hit by the flying shoes, white collar criminals should not be allowed to avoid being hit with a more severe and just penalty.
Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I do not own shares of NKE.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-16-2008 @ 4:06PM
art said...
Yea firing squad is good but you know what might be better put them in with oj and he can put some ... up their...
12-16-2008 @ 4:58PM
Miguel said...
Art, they have probably caused some powerful people to lose money. sadly, someone may apply some old frontier territory justice before they get a proper audience with OJ. We really need to see some American system work. I would love to see them on an orange jumpsuit..perhaps pink like in some Texas county.
12-16-2008 @ 5:31PM
Dan Barnett said...
Sheldon,
Would it be too much to ask that these guys get a trial, in something other than the blogosphere, before sending them away?
BTW, as I understand it, in Arabic countries, throwing shoes is a sign of ultimate disgust. Now that guy has been beaten & charged with "Insulting Iraq"
Ain't freedom wonderful?
12-16-2008 @ 5:52PM
Sheldon L said...
Dan,
I stated that they were "accused", knowing full well a trial was in order, when referring to the specific gentlemen in question.
The rest of the story is about white collar criminals in general.
I'm not throwing away our system of justice. The term felon refers to the convicted, implying due process.
12-23-2008 @ 1:02AM
andy freeman said...
Love the idea of putting them to "honest" work but fear they might steal the farm.
What if Blago's innocent and HIS HAIR IS CRIMINAL!
The "hair-raising" truth about the pay for play scandal and the
governor of Illinois.
http://andeeroo.wordpress.com/