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1/15/2009

One Lucky Guy - Not Me

I heard today that there might be a 'deal' in the works for Bernie Madoff. A deal. I have no idea what the terms might be - nor what the rationale might be for offering him one. But the notion of a deal for Mr. Madoff just frosts my balls. Excuse the imagery, but it just does. The man has been running a ponzi scheme for 40 years, costing thousands of people and institutions billions of dollars. Charities have had to close their doors. Financial institutions have had to close their doors. We haven't begun to hear all of the far reaching ramifications of this guys shenanigans.

But Bernie Madoff IS lucky. And just how lucky was brought home to me in a conversation I had this evening with #1 son about our Trinidad trip.

He wanted to make sure that Trinidad wasn't one of those countries where you could get thrown into jail and no one would ever hear from you again.

I told him no - that Trinidad wasn't an Indonesia or Singapore or Turkey. That Trinidad's legal system looked just like that of England, more or less. I asked him why he was so concerned.

He told me of a movie or documentary he had seen where an Australian tourist in Indonesia was sentenced to 20 years in prison, even though it was obvious to all concerned that the drugs in her carry-on bag were put there by others - that she was an innocent dupe. Indonesian courts held her responsible because she was as close as they could get to whomever really was responsible. She was innocent. But she was held responsible. And she's in jail for 20 years.

Bernie Madoff is lucky. It's too bad we can't send him to Indonesia. Or Turkey. Or Singapore. Somewhere without deals. Where the jails don't have air conditioning and cable TV and conjugal visits. Anywhere but here.

Something about me I've never spoken to before. I can't stand a thief. And I can't stand someone who will lie to hurt others. They ought to throw Bernie Madoff under the bus. A big, BIG bus.

I know I don't normally address this kind of stuff. I probably will never do it again. But I just had to this time.

Ndinombethe.

30 comments:

Unknown said...

I just think of all those people who thought their futures were secure and he took that away.

Jientje said...

I had to google this, but I get the picture, and I understand your anger. The same thing would happen if he lived in Belgium though, stuff like that gets swept under the carpet here as well.They get away with it much too easy. Too bad it's always innocent people get to suffer.

Shadow said...

liars, thieves, rapist, murderers, abusers of children and animals, all of them i have no understanding for, nor any sympathy, and will glady wait for the law of nature to kick in on them. hard!

Bama Cheryl said...

Thanks for speaking out and voicing what's probably on a lot of people's minds. He has enough money to just disappear and yet the court refuses to consider him a flight risk. Anyone with morals as low as his is an embarrassment to the human race. He should be ashamed.

Unknown said...

WTF?!
A deal?!

I just talked with hubby about taxes and stuff.
If we ever do anything crooked and get caught, WE end up in jail for years on end.

If someone like this crook does it, he even gets a Bonus from the government.

I'll become a professional crook with many friends in high places in my next Life, just to see what it feels like.

Eric S. said...

I totally agree with you on this one. What slime, dressed up to look like normal everyday person.

moneythoughts said...

Nothing wrong with telling us how you feel. I rather like it. Bernie is just one of many, but this time Bernie is the biggest at $50 billion. Over the years, there have been many Bernies, but much smaller. Yes, this guy should be in a jail cell, and he will be. The interesting thing for me, having worked with large portfolios of money, is who else was involved? Pulling off a Ponzi that big almost certainly requires another pair of hands or two. Your readers can read my thoughts and comments on my blog if they want to know more. Good post Lou, you should do this more often.

Christy said...

You want to hear weird?

I want to kill Madoff--and all rich criminals, but I have utter sympathy for petty criminals.

Must be from being poor.

And I've been stolen from by other poor people. I sort of took it in stride, I understood.

It is a huge logical/moral inconsistency. And not the only one I possess, but probably the only tangible one.

I can't stand Madoff's smug smile I just want to chop him up in little pieces.

Honeybell said...

I simply don't understand people like that. How does he justify his actions? UGH!

On a lighter note, I'm thrilled that you won't be going to prison.

Momisodes said...

I cannot stand liars either. It disgusts me that he was pulling this off for so long.

Anonymous said...

I've heard Japanese prisons aren't completely inhumane, but there is no bullshit there. No lifting weights. No tv. Even no talking. Silence. That's too good for a guy like this. Also, sometimes I'm not opposed to daily ass raping, like when it happens to a guy who has done it to everyone else for so long.

Hope your balls defrost soon? ;)

hockeychic said...

I can not understand how Madoff can even live with himself. Someone committed suicide when the realized they lost all their money because of Madoff not to mention how he has decimated charities. How can he not be considered a flight risk? He has already shown that he has no respect for the court in that he has already broken the terms of his bond. Through him into jail. Not some jail for white collar criminals either, send him to Riker's Island.

hockeychic said...

That should read "throw" and not "through"....I was a little fired up there.

Ndinombethe said...

I agree with you 100%

and...

Like how #1 thinks - cautious and likes to know what he's getting himself into. Think I might know a thing or two about the legal system here so tell him he's in good hands :)

Theresa said...

I dunno who he is, but it sounds like he sucks ass. Karma is a bitch though.

Joyce-Anne said...

Argh. I can't stand when crooks, liars, thieves get away with their crime. It's always the innocent who pays.

KG said...

Now, now ... he DID give some of the money to Jewish charities. *wink* Then again, that probably had more to do with his desire to improve his social rank than any actual altruism.

It's awful that he was able to go home and hang out in his posh pent house instead of sit in jail. Too bad bail rules aren't based on "who is a jerk" instead of "flight risk and risk to the public."

Unknown said...

Suzanne: Yes - he hurt a lot of people - and not just the rich, either.

Jientje: I LOVE making you Google stuff.

Shadow: I just hope the law DOES kick in on him.

Bama Cheryl: He has nowhere to run - he has the Russian Mafia and the Colombian Drug Cartels on his client list - and THEY are not happy.

NicoleB: That's not you and you know it.

Eric S: I just wonder who else, who SHOULD have known, and maybe DID know, turned a blind eye to this for so many years. The SEC, for starters.

Moneythoughts: This kind of thing is in your ballpark, Fred. Not mine. i wouldn't be half aware of the real implications here, but for reading you for the last 8 or 9 months.

Christy: Okay ... let's all hide our meat cleavers from Christy. don't want to have to rescue her from jail over this piece of slime.

Honeybell: No - not anytime soon, anyway. Besides, I don't think they can arrest you for being a Dirty Old Man - or at least, thinking like one.

Momisodes: I agree. But there is so much power at stake here - so many powerful people involved - I wonder how much of this is going to get swept under the rug.

Maggie's Mind: Bend over Bernie, Maggie's on your case know. And the balls are fine, thank you. Just a little chilly, but that has more to do with our weather lately, I think.

Hockeychic: Madoff couldn't escape even if he wanted to. Like I said - the Russian Mob and the Colombian Drug Cartels were among his customers.

Tash: He'll be relieved to know that.

Theresa: Ah, yes. Karma. Karma is definitely gonna get him.

Jibber Jabber: I just hope he doesn't 'get away' with what he has done.

Trannyhead: That's what his motive was .. he was after Kosher Green Beans.

Michael said...

Hi Louceel,
Some countries are so unfair, you know i aint even been out of the uk in my near 40yrs alive so i guess im a bit naive.
Im in a maths reading phase at the moment, that rieman stuff is way above me mathematcally, tensors and stuff but Einsteins Theory of GR is so elegant when compared to the messy horrible theories now which I dont think anyone understands.
I guess Im lucky to live in the uk

Jientje said...

I know Lou, I know!

Patsy said...

A thief and a liar. Can't stand either one and he is both. I'll just give a hardy AMEN and leave it at that.

Vikki North said...

Hi Lou,
I sooooooooooo agree with you. I like the biblical guidelines for thieves: Cut off their hands! And liars: cut out their tongue!

But one thing- look at O.J. They eventually got him. His days of sunlight are limited. What cha want to bet some guard will ‘accidentally’ lets him out in common area of the prison. Ah- oh! Dead man a running.
Vikki

Julie said...

Between Maddoff and Bush doing his farewell/last chance for bullshit justification tour, I haven't been watching the news much lately. Add the assholes (sorry. These guys make me insanely angry) who are going onto the newschat shows justifying torture and I cannot take it. I have to turn off the TV and watch pink movies* to detox.

*romantic comedies, Austen adaptions, Hairspray, Sweenie Todd, stuff like that. Sweenie Todd isn't really pink, but it does have Johnnie Depp, which makes it a pink subset. Probably more than you wanted to know. Blood and Johnnie Depp and show tunes. Awesome.

Jennifer said...

hey i know the movie your son is talking about... it was HORRIBLE! i would NEVER go to Indonesia b/c of that movie... it was so sad and heartbreaking and i'm sure could very well be based on hundreds of true stories.

the whole Madoff thing... is a JOKE. i can't believe the would make any kind of deal with him... well I do believe but I can't understand it... although I just know... money goes to money and also when you have money you can pretty much f*ck anyone over, sorry for the *rough* laungage, but I'm so annoyed... you hear of all these rich ass people doing other dirty and just getting away with it with some house arrest and a fine... or a tiny little slap on the hand telling them they should say they are sorry...it is complete bullshit.

madoff is a complete scam, and he should be thrown in front of or under an 18 wheeler.

sorry. I guess i could have just said I agree with what you wrote. lol

but what fun would that have been? really.

ALSO!!

I did my questions!! yay.
thank you for interviewing me... and also for being patient with me.

I have been soooo busy lately, i'm not even sure what I have been doing. lol

i'm going to try to blog about my busy week b/c this year... I'm reaching 365 posts... maybe not every day of blogging, but still 365. we'll see. i was sooo close but so far away this past year...

AND...

I am totally rambling... sorry.

mwah!
xoxoxo
thanks again!

Tara R. said...

A few years ago I served on a federal jury. The defendant was accused of masterminding a ponzi scheme that cost his clients $65 million. After a two week trial, it took us less than 2 hours to convict him. We would have come to the same conclusion after a one day trial. He was given more than 30 yrs. in federal prison. Madoff should get nothing short of life, truly life, in prison.

Eve Grey said...

Oh man, I CANNOT believe that guy is not being punished more than he has been. It is totally repulsive what he did. I really don't know how these rich guys get away with it.

MommyTime said...

You said it, Lou! I totally agree. The man deserves to have every red cent taken away so that he has to flip burgers for the rest of his life. AFTER he gets out of jail.

www.ayewonder.com said...

Lou, I've been away so long I missed the whole site redesign. It looks great. Madoff is a bad guy and someone who will never be properly punished for the lives he ruined. It is a story for the ages and more proof that our criminal justice system is never going to find punishment to fit the crime.
By the way, I am back up and running.

Unknown said...

I have spent the last months shaking my head wondering what this country has come to. Suddenly "billions of dollars" is pocket change and liars and thieves of billions are no longer accountable.

I hope karma takes over, since the criminal justice system clearly will not.

Unknown said...

I haven't been following the news lately, so don't know the story much, but it does frost me too, when criminals like that get off so easy.