Firstly, why don't they just convert it to a life sentence? Do they really think Madoff's going to make it to his early 220's?
More seriously, I am a little worried about this. So many of us are clearly fed up with the overwhelming greed in our culture. But our media has this beautiful and devious tendency to focus all attention on the worst and most obvious offender in any given instance, leaving the much more widespread practice of greed untouched in mainstream discourse. As Paul Krugman and others have pointed out, the entire financial sector might be one big Ponzi apparatus.
On a deeper level, we need to create a system that privileges generosity over greed, and privileges those whose careers create great benefit to others over careers where individual profit and get-rich-no-matter-what mentalities dominate. If our system doesn't stop incentivizing greed, there will be no way to stop an army of mini-Madoff's in the future. And at the same time, we have to find compassion for Bernie by paying attention to the get-rich-quick schemes constantly arising in our own minds.
One man being sentenced does pretty much nothing to change these dark forces of the mind that have consumed our economics. In fact, the way our media scapegoating works, Madoff's sentence might just act as a cloak for a much much deeper problem.
On a deeper level, we need to create a system that privileges generosity over greed, and privileges those whose careers create great benefit to others over careers where individual profit and get-rich-no-matter-what mentalities dominate. If our system doesn't stop incentivizing greed, there will be no way to stop an army of mini-Madoff's in the future. And at the same time, we have to find compassion for Bernie by paying attention to the get-rich-quick schemes constantly arising in our own minds.
One man being sentenced does pretty much nothing to change these dark forces of the mind that have consumed our economics. In fact, the way our media scapegoating works, Madoff's sentence might just act as a cloak for a much much deeper problem.
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@Tom and Greg
I dont quite get it either, but ... here is another suffering human being. Lets not compare, but simply offer companionship to all. Nothing to lose, nothing to gain ....
Wow. Quotation marks *and* a Ms.? What did I ever to do you, Jesse?
It's correct what you've said about greed. It amazes me how people flock to buy lotto, especially as it was $90,000,000 yesterday. They don't realise that you couldn't trust anyone if you owned that amount of money. They think it would 'fix' everything... wow.
We're all looking for some 'easy' way to get ahead. Hard work and sacrifice just don't cut it anymore. It's been "better to receive then give" now for a while.
Hopefully people will wake up and figure it out and those of us who already know the truth will work at keeping our integrity and not becoming self-righteous and judgmental in the process.
I feel sorry for Madoff... some things you can't fix in this life. Maybe he's in that role so that we can look in the mirror? Examine our own hearts... that kind of thing?
I am sick to death of a society where I feel we are 'obliged' to pass judgement on strangers with very few facts on which to base it.I don't want to be the conscience for Mr. Madoff or any other human on this planet. I would rather leave that up to those of us who are sinless and thereby qualified to do so. I am very depressed with the way this planet runs and I'd just as soon withdraw and become a total recluse. I'm more than halfway there now and the more I see, the more I am convinced that its the right path to follow.
Nancy, I often feel the same thing. Then I think, if I'm so against passing judgement then I can't pass judgement on the judgement passers, either.
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