Throughout my life, I have been taught that ethics and honor were the key ingredients for becoming one of the ‘good guys'. History lessons, splashed with glorification, told me that under fire, the only noble thing to do is to stand and defend your position. Even in the face of sure defeat and annihilation, the brave hearts stay at their posts until they are captured or become casualties. The defenders of the Alamo, the unfortunates ravaged by the pre-dawn attack on Pear Harbor, and certainly hundreds of revolutionaries in dozens of battles during the American Revolution all had this in common: They hung on and battled to their last breath. It was how things were done, how honor was served.
But what happened to that sentiment? Where is the honor these days? I'm not talking about the honor among our military forces fighting a war that is questionable in design and motive- as a former member of the United States Navy, I have nothing but unending respect and admiration for those that serve honorably and selflessly to defend those that cannot defend themselves. Neither am I talking about the decent politicians (and I know that they are a vanishing breed) who go against partisan lines to decry foul against others who serve the American constituency in a manner that is clearly self-serving. No, I am talking about the people who are supposed to guide our national economic platform as it is housed: The Corporate Heads.
In my career, I have admired many high-profile figures that command stations in the financial world and who drive global economies. I admired them for their bullish approach to business and their nerve in going against the grain. The heads of such companies like WorldCom and Citigroup and Merrill Lynch were to me the icons of what can be achieved with hard work, determination, and intelligence. I tried to pattern myself after some of these men and women, hoping to emulate their spirits and their successes.
Sadly though, the last few months that I have spent watching the tattering and fragmenting of the lending and trade industries ion this country have delivered to me a sobering fact that leaves me looking for an idol that probably doesn't exist. Within the past few months, figures like Stan O'Neal (Merrill Lynch), Charles Prince, III (Citigroup), and Peter Wuffli (UBS) have all left their posts as the heads of major banking and financial corporations. True, some were shown the exit doors, but each of these people left their companies with a pocketful of cash, stocks, options, and other perks (O'Neal gets an company-paid office and executive assistant for several years, though just why he needs it is a mystery, as he has been utterly ousted.). And the appalling thing that I have witnessed is that none of these people have stopped to say, "Hey, I helped make this mess. I am staying around to help clean things up." That would be the honorable thing to do, rather than just scooping up the proceeds from some backroom deal and slinking away like a fox from the plundered henhouse.
This lack of ethics and honor has far-reaching impact upon our nation. The average, hard-working folks of this country see big corporations that control their money and their homes as untrustworthy, which in turn represents a lack in consumer confidence. It also creates a wider gap between socio-economic classes that runs against the equality philosophy that has been the foundation of our country's principles for two centuries. Factor in the political elbow-rubbing, and suddenly the common citizen can see nothing but corruption pouring out of the doors and windows of the gleaming towers of the financial and political communities. If that is not a recipe for economic and social disaster, I don't know what is.
I am at a loss as to how things can be fixed, econommically, in this country. I am sure that the waters are going to get rougher before they calm down, and more losses for the American public are lurking beneath the surface of the next ready-to-implode hedge fund. That being said, I feel that it is about time that the ones primarily responsible for this mess (on the Corporate throne level) should step up and take responsibility. And responsibility means not only owning up, but ponying up and cleaning up the mess that they helped create. Congress wants to shackle the mortgage brokers with unreasonable and questionable tactics, but let's see the same treatment for the suited ne'er-do-wells from Wall Street. If they won't clean up their own mess willingly, then maybe Uncle Sam should make them. And if Congress does step in, let us all hope that they don't let the trouble-makers make off with what can only be called ill-gotten gains. Or is that the message that we send our children, that it's okay to behave criminally, just look good and smile while you're doing it. And never mind the mess, somebody else will take care of it.
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