THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED?

In January 2011, friend Harry wrote a blog regarding the number of media sources who were now agreeing with observations he had made in his blog much earlier.

While he agreed it was sort of a personal validation, he regretted the source and actions of the subject matter: Sarah Palin.

I had a similar reaction yesterday when I saw USA Today's headline on their editorial page: "Fight corporate criminality with criminal prosecutions."

USA Today  related a series of incredible criminal events committed by drug companies and financial institutions.

They included:, Savings & Loan's $100 billion bailout (1980's), the Pfizer fine in 2009 ($2.3billion), Abbott Laboratories ($1.6 billion in May),  the most recent fine of drugmaker GSK - $3 billion) and a potential settlement by Johnson & Johnson of ($2billion).

They then asked of us:

"With a procession of troubling events like these can there be any doubts that current efforts to police corporate misbehavior are failing?

The follow up question: "Is there any doubt that only a credible threat of jail time will get (the individuals responsibile - the guys/gals in control) to insist that the quest for profits is no reason to break the law?"

More FACTS were then revealed:

 " More than 1000 people were convicted of felonies "during" the savings-and-loan crisis. Tellingly, thrifts have largely avoided the problems encountered by other financial institutions in recent years."

"By contrast, NOT ONE high level (boss) has been convicted in connection with the credit hustles
and packaging of misrepresented mortages that brought the world economy to it's heels in 2008".

They USA Today cites the fact that some of those responsible resigned (ed. :Or were hired elsewhere?) -all wealthy (at that point) enough to SUFFER ONLY EMBARASSMENT.

But their final conclusion was the kicker. It was also one I've been shouting from the rooftops for quite some time:

"Intentionally endangering people for profit is a crime" and "the way to change criminal behavior is with criminal penalties. In the finance and drug industry scandals, they've been too scarce."

Why is it taking so long for responsible journalists to come to that conclusion - and sadly,  do you really figure there will be any follow up?

 Who is going to do it? The department Of Justice/ Congress? The President? The assumed GOP Presidential candidate?

The answer is "NO ONE" - unless we make enough noise to finally be heard. And if we don't we only have ourselves to blame.

The casuse of this problem continuing unabated may well be .tied in with the published "opposing view"   following the editorial (and no - I didn't make this up!). Here is the respondents reply edited for space:

"While (the thought of) perp-walking (bosses) offers an undeniable appeal to our retributive (i.e. retribution caused anger) does it deliver the goods in making our marketplace sounder, safer and less corrupt?"

"The aggressive pursuit of individual convictions  comes at great cost"

"Prosecution hardens positions and forecloses other avenues of achieving the most socially desirable outcome."

"Would we  rather see a corporate (boss) do time, or see a company pay massive fines and agree to run it's operations differently?"

"Prosecution of corporate ( leaders) is never a good idea."

"The threat of prosecution isn't what makes the vast majority of (bosses) want to do the right thing. It's their integrity, their 'DRIVE TO SUCCEED' - and their fear that a misstep will cause the business they've worked so hard to build to be undone."

There is much more in the rebuttal but I doubt  there are that many readers out there with a the required  gag  avoidance strength to read anymore.

In Conclusion:

Maybe it's not the careless drivers who are letting their eyes and attention wander that is today's biggest threat out on the road..

Maybe it's just these guys (above) with the totally screwed up "DRIVE TO SUCCEED"who we need to fear more - both on and off the roads- due to their misplaced  belief they are entitled to make up the rules.

Let's get them behind bars where they can rethink their conclusions.