The Flinchum File

Thoughtful Economic Analysis and Existential Opinions
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My Refrain ?

I know I’ve said it too many times already, but doesn’t every good song have a refrain that is repeated over-and-over.  Here is mine:  we are over-regulated and under-punished!  There, I feel better now . . .

Bernie Madoff was exposed in 2009 after his Ponzi scheme collapsed.  He could have been arrested years earlier by the SEC, which ignored both anonymous and non-anonymous tips.  Recently, his employees were found guilty on 59 counts and will be sentenced in June.  Sentences are expected to be “light” since they cooperated with the prosecutors.

Today, Madoff sits in a North Carolina prison, which specializes in better health care for federal prisoners.  Sure, it would be emotional hell for a normal person to think of your wife divorcing you and your son committing suicide, both out of shame about you.  Raise your hand if you believe Bernie is in emotional hell.  He lives as a respected master criminal and receiving better health care than millions and millions of working Americans.

So, should we pass more laws saying “don’t do like Bernie did?”  Or, should he be executed?  Oh, by the way, there are about fifty Ponzi schemes discovered every year . . . I guess there is no need to send them a warning message?

I know, I know . . . civilized societies don’t need to kill their citizens . . . in a perfect world!  But, don’t we need perfect people to have a perfect world?