An Economist's Sentiment

The Economist has brought up an intersting point about white-collar crimes. With regards to the conviction of Jeff Skilling of Enron, they had this to say:

Prosecutors and the public seemed delighted by Mr Skilling's long sentence. Yet there are growing worries about the severity of America's white-collar sentences, which treat bosses more harshly than drug dealers and some murderers. Twenty years ago, Mr Skilling would have got just seven years. America also treats white-collar offenders more severely than other rich countries. (http://economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8082101)

Now, just reading this w/o the whole article does not do it justice, so let me bring up an idea that is mentioned later in the article. This kind of punishment is meant to be both retributive--that is, as a punishment for the billions of dollars lost and millions of lives adversely affected--and a deterrent to others. Not to say all punishments come out like that, but this one seems to have both aspects. We must ask what the goal of deterrence is, what are we trying to avoid. Coorporate scandal and unqualified risk-taking is not least among the goals, but is this the best way to acheive that? It seems that this kind of punishment might deter cooperate heads not only from excessive risk-taking, but might even make them play safe and pass up on some potential moves. That is not good for the economy as a whole, especially when other countries do not have as harsh of punishments and their companies would eat up this potential. More comprehensive reform and accountability schemes would do more to prosecute the problematic players and keep others safe.

Two more questions (at least) arise. First, who will make up this comprehensive reform? Not me. Second, should our moral and economic decisions be influenced by others? Absolutely, because morality is hardly black and white. Furthermore, we are required to think on the macro scale when decisions will impact it. That means looking at decisions' effects on local and world economics, poverty, employment, etc. If no man is an island, then what about coorporations?

All that being said, I think that Skilling, if really guilty, got a just punishment for the lives him and his decisions ruined. I just think that it should be clearer that his punishment is his and his companies. Not cooporate America's. They just need to know that changes are coming and that they should learn a thing or two of what not to do.

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Happy

"Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness."
  - Robertson Davies

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My Weekend

Again, y'all, life is good. My folks are coming up this weekend and we get to play. I hope to take them to the art museum here, which has this pretty cool picture from the inside. We are also going to eat at a little restaurant next door to it, hopefully for brunch on Sunday or something. Monica and I have had pretty super telephone call conversations too, which always makes the evenings pretty nice. Also, the St. Louis Red Birds (aka Cardinals) seem to be tearing up the World Series. Coming from Tampa Bay, it's nice to have a baseball team to be proud of because the Devil Rays, who I wholeheartedly support, are terrible. And will probably sell their team like any good major league farm team would.

I also printed out a list of 100 things to do in Milwaukee, which should add for hours of entertainment...if most of the events are free. I have done a few of these things already, like go to Miller Park. And I probably won't do others, like sailing Lake Michigan (though I can dream). But it's cool to have this list and see how much I can accomplish in one year.

With that, I leave you. I might be writing some more thoughtful things later, instead of just updates on my life. The updates are mostly for the people that don't get to see me or talk to me all that much, but the politics and religion and economic ideas in my head are also a part of me and probably intersting to at least some. Don't hold your breath, though. I might just do some ranting.

Peace.

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Forgive me if this is boring, but I think I downloaded a sweet blogging tool that let's me blog much more impromptu and add quotes and whatnot much more clearly despite the fact that I have beta.blogger, which is infinately less developed (though easier to use on the website itself) than the orinigal blogger.

Or maybe I'm just a big toolbag.

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Been a while

Funny, but that's a song. Remember? By Staind. It's kinda depressing.....

I'm not depressed. In fact I might be classified as giddy or happy or the like. And I'll tell you why. There are many reasons. First, I got to go see some friends this past weekend that rocked myworld. I hadn't seen some of these kids in over a year and it was good to see them. One of them even ran a marathon. So that's good. Then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Monica O'Malley Eagles. That means I win the bragging rights war. And I'm prettier than her. Then I find out that I did 16 points better on my LSAT this year than a year ago. Now, although I think my score was great and I was suprised to see it, it is only partially a testimate to how I studied this summer for it. Cause I did. Hard. But I think it also shows, maybe show more, how poorly I did the first time. It was a big drop from my practice tests even then. Anywho, that sparked my life and life is good. My roommates even made me cake to celebrate. So that's my update and I'm stickin' to it.

PS- Milwaukee is cold.

Happy God

So, I talked to Orlando today and life is good and I got to see Monica this weekend and I have done two good things at work and I won a fantasy football game this weekend and I moved up the rankings in another league and I'm going to eat chicken tonight and today was just a good day. Thus, happy pictures for all to see. And to replace the mean looking gun below. Pics are c/o Monica c/o Monica's dad c/o someone with too much free time.

Shots fired

Well, today was quite a day at work. In fact, I'm still at work but I felt the need to write something right now. The day involved affidavits with people who were the victims of domestic violence. A few tissues later, when my last client had just left, there were shots fired outside. I thought it was a crappy car backfiring, but one of my coworkers say she saw someone running in the alleyway b/n my building and the next, while someone else said she saw a silver accura and a group of people running the other way. Thank God my client had already left. But to think that some random group of teenagers are trying to kill each other right in front of this property is ridiculous and scary. Sad more than anything else. Why is shooting the only option? What happened that they can't talk? Too much pride? Retaliation? Turf wars? Whatever it is, its bullshit. And it's, above all, tragic. I don't think that anyone died or was actually hit, at least I don't know of anyone who was, although I haven't strolled around outside yet. But I do know that people heard it. And they are scared, or worse yet used to it and indifferent. I'm going to think about this all day. And I have to come back tomorrow and act like nothing happened. Cause I got two clients tomorrow too. That sucks. Thank God all those in this building and my community are ok.