In Feudal England and Colonial American Tar and Feathering was a rather popular means of humiliation by the public. The Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm was tar and feathered four weeks after the Boston Tea Party as one of the more famous examples.
It was also common to ride the person around town or out of town on a rail so the crowds could throw insults and I assume other objects. Today we seem to use the press for these acts of humiliation. But they are evidently still effective as an executive of AIG reported that several of their top employees quit and left town in fear for their lives.
Well, even in the American west if has been a long time since a lynch mob went further than the local bar. I have to wonder if this tale of loss is spin-doctoring to cover up those too greedy to give back their bonuses or heading for off-shore to hide their ill gotten gains from the new tax law being passed that would claim 90% back. If the report was made to gain the sympathy of the American people they have another think coming. I doubt we would retaliate but I do think if it is unwise to put AIG on your resume these days. So where would they work in the future?
Course they could go straight to the FBI investigating possible felonies committed by AIG and other banking firms responsible for this crisis and get in the witness protection program.
Yes, and if they really want to ease their guilt and fear, why not give the money back? Seems to me that would be the right thing to do. It must be hard to give back a million dollars.
ReplyDeleteHow about giving back $4 million. Some 27 executives got that as a "retention bonus", a term they used to get around the bonus restraints, and several had already left the company.
ReplyDeleteRight now I will take a million and let the government tax me 90%.
Isn't that the truth! Most Americans would be overwhelmed to have an EXTRA $100,000 right about now. We can't even imagine the lifestyle these guys must have to scoff at such an amount.
ReplyDeleteYou know, some of us have begun to think that the wisest "bailout" would be to give every man, woman and child $100,000, which would be far less than they are spending on these bank bailouts. Lots of folks would bank the money, thereby saving the banks, some folks would blow the whole wad on some foolish thing, but it would stimulate the economy by so doing. I think that would be a far wiser use of federal money than giving billions and millions to fat cats who don't need it!
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