I Don't Care About AIG's Bonuses

I guess I'm just in the minority here, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting exercised about $165 million (just to put that into perspective, the movie sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian had a budget of $200 million) in bonuses to AIG employees.

Yeah, it's a shame that approximately one-tenth of one-percent of the $144 billion made available to the company by the federal government in bailout monies went to such bonuses, but where is all the furor from public officials, media outlets and bloggers -- from both Right and Left -- over the 12 billions of dollars (with a "b") sent over to Iraq as pallets of cash (literally, shrink-wrapped $100 bills), which then simply disappeared into that trillion (with a "t") dollar rat hole without accounting or explanation?

Where is the outrage and accountability there? Nowhere.

How about the $4 billion (with a "b") that went to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 to purchase privately made electronic voting systems which don't work and don't meet the federal standards it was claimed that they did?

It's curious, but not particularly surprising by now, the stuff that folks in Congress get selectively pissed off about, the stuff that media (both mainstream and blogosphere) go selectively wall-to-wall over, versus the stuff they don't.

You'll pardon me if I'm not particularly moved much at all by the latest round of AIG sturm-und-drang, hand-wringing, navel-gazing, finger-pointing and speechifying. Oh, and about the still-free bin Laden, and the still-free anthrax killer...well, don't get me started. Guess those things don't much matter.

Comments

[Grada3784]

I'm not so much worried about the bonuses as the contributions Washington politicians are getting from these companies. Or maybe bribes would be a better term.

[Dredd]

It all matters.

A robbery of $10,000 or a robbery of $1,000,000 ... they all must be dealt with.

If it is a crime but only a petty one it still must be dealt with.

Even speeding tickets matter.

The rage however should be directed at the big stuff ... "straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel" is one way of saying "majoring in the minors".

[goldenlynx]

AIG bonuses is only the tip of the iceberg. I agree it is only a drop in the bucket of many more and grandeur inane fiduciary games played by institutions and corporations (like a magician on the street corner ...which nutshell has the dime under it?,,, when the magician already pocketed it). It is important to address AIG because of the ethical issues. We have to stand up and say enough is enough. The game is over! We know the tricks and no more treats. It is time we address the social and moral behaviors of corporations and institutions (including the government). It is time to re -emphasize that an act of omission (ie "forgot to document the money trail") is just as much of a crime as giving out million dollar bonuses for a failing company.

[Skepticat]

I was already outraged about the other stuff - however outrage is a cumulative thing. Some folks simply take longer to get steamed - be grateful that they are finally waking up.

[RobinLandseadel]

I guess I'm just in the majority here, but I'm having no trouble getting exercised about $165 million (just to put that into perspective, my income so far this year is $2000) in bonuses to AIG employees. You're comparing a movie production with hundreds of workers producing a tangible product that's sold by thousands of workers, who are selling that product to millions of customers, to bonuses for bankers that made trillions of dollars disappear forever. Bad, bad comparison.

[cyrano1]

You are so right! And taking it from the grassroots position, how do we get "them" to track it down? Do we do it ourselves? Start yet another "move-on" or "true majority" kind of organization? How do we steal their mailing lists?

[brooklyncitizen]

Oh THAT....well like all things Bushian it's been swept under the rug and apparently this new administration has no interest in holding anyone accountable.

[marthainmaine]

Over two trillion "lost " in DOD. How do you lose that much money and no one is accountable?

[momof3inGA]

My sentiments exactly!

The media is spinning this out of control...for sure.

[winningticket]

Maybe you probably feel these people deserve their bonuses. Just because the last regime mispent billions and trillions of dollars doesn't mean that you have to be an apologist for Wal Street.

[JEP]

Hard to argue with the logic here, the no-bid book cookers in the military industrial complex are probably the same no-bid book-cookers who tanked our economy.

It's the "perfect storm" of greed.

It's not the middle class that wants class warfare.

And it certainly isn't the poverty class.

That leaves us a single option.

[fleaba]

Hey as long as people have cable tv and an internet connection they will be sedentary.

[superstition]

And what are they supposed to do if they're upset? Write a letter and hope it will be published? Good luck with that. Take vacation time to go to Washington to lobby politicians? That's going to work.

The bottom line is that the little guy is screwed. All we can hope for is that we can have a reasonably comfortable living standard and avoid the shelters. But, if we do hit the shelters and NBC nightly news does a feature and our plight is included... people with jobs and housing everywhere will think "I'm glad that's not me and my family" and go back to their routine.

Or they can do what I do and write worthless poetry and post meaningless articles to Facebook.

[twain12]

I remember the story about the money disappearing , and ask myself the same question all the time. I was appalled but didn't see any public outcry..

[boogiewoman]

So its not just me. BFD to AIG!

[Mnemanth]

Goodness, Brad! You remember this??? I was in Balad 3 years ago and remember a story in Stars and Stripes about this. A one time story, and I never saw anything about it again.
As a member of a CH47 unit we regularly delivered pallets of cash into the desert. CASH! I always wondered what that was all about, given that every hovel in the desert has a satellite dish and, therefore, everyone has access to electronic banking.
Oh, that's right: Sending over actual cash to get "lost" really helps avert accountability.
Iraq: The War that Isn't. The Scam that Is!

[leftoflennon]

I totally agree with you!