The AIG Death Threats

It seems every news story about the AIG bonuses now makes reference to anonymous death threats that are pouring into the company.

I started making left-wing political cartoons one month after 9/11. At that time, most people weren't exactly pumped to hear someone making fun of the whole idea of a "War on Terror" and calling President Bush an idiot. I got my share of nasty emails.

I also received death threats. (I soon learned this comes with the territory.) I set up a special folder in my email program where I dumped all the creepy junk: the missives from the guy who fantasized about sodomizing me with a grenade launcher; the guy who said he was gonna personally beat the shit out of me; the guy who asked inappropriate questions about my wife, etc. etc.

Anyway, my point is: Did I go around crying about all these threats? NO. Did I punk out like a little baby and stop making cartoons? NO. Did I go whine to Congress about "Boo-hoo, I can't tell you who got the bonuses, they might receive a nasty email"? NO. I took a deep breath and rolled up my sleeves and -- after a strange phone call in the middle of the night -- got my number de-listed and went about my business like a champ.

And mind you, when I received these threats, I wasn't working in some high-security office building and living in a fancy gated community with no sidewalks where you need a passcode just to go to the golf course. Hardly. I was a schlub in a bathrobe living in a third-story Brooklyn walk-up. The only way I could've been a softer target would be if I was made out of Yoplait.

And I wasn't exactly getting paid millions of dollars for my troubles, either. I was temping part-time for $20/hour and GIVING ALL MY GODDAMN MONEY AWAY, because it was post-9/11 America and we were all supposed to pull together and chip in for the common good. Remember when?

My God, though -- if I had been making that sweet AIG money, not only would I have happily endured a few more death threats, I WOULD HAVE ACTIVELY LET PEOPLE TRY TO KILL ME.

Pay me $700,000 a year, or however much the AIG guy whining in today's New York Times made, and you can threaten me with death all goddamn day. Because do you have any idea how much money that is??? Hell, I'll let you throw rocks at me. I'll let you poison my soup. You can slash my tires and spray-paint my driveway. AND ONCE I GET ALL THAT MONEY, I'M TOTALLY PAYING OFF SOME STUDENT LOANS AND FIXING THE GARAGE ROOF AND BUYING SOME NEW PANTS. Because that's an insane amount of money.

These AIG losers bring the country's financial system to its knees, get paid millions of dollars for their troubles, walk away unscathed, and then turn around and complain because some idiot using a computer at the public library decides to hit "send" before catching his breath?

Meanwhile American teenagers are getting shot at in Iraq because maybe the Army will help pay their college tuition?

"Death threats?" Seriously?

Here's my proposal to the AIG bigwigs:

You give me all the money you made at AIG and I'll shoulder the impossible burden you're living with.

Any takers?

==============

UPDATE (3/26/09): For the record, I am NOT condoning death threats! ALL credible threats should be investigated and prosecuted. I should think this would go without saying, but some commenters have implied that I am pro-death-threat. I am not pro-death-threat. I am ANTI-DEATH THREAT. Death threats suck. They are creepy and depressing. Thanks.

Comments

[Ramius]

What's worse is that they were whining to BARNEY FRANK about death threats. Now does any of us doubt that one of the first openly gay Representatives got LOTS and LOTS of death threats over the years?

Should Barney argue that from now on all his votes should be "private"?

When you've got a lot of power, and you're controversial, you get death threats... comes with the territory. It's unfortunate, but completely predictable (been happening since the beginning of time) and not a valid reason to restrict transparency in a democracy.

[bokiluis]

Rethuglicans probably hate French citizens because they do not mess around. When the populous in France finds government to have nefarious intentions via their actions and policies.

If the American people would rise up and "rage against the machine"..­....those wimps in Wall St. and business would shrivel.

Remember "white collar" crime is also "institutionalized crime"....­..dressed up in linguisitic lilts like "integrity".

[OpalSky42]

For 1/100th of what those guys got paid, I could probably do a better job at their jobs than they did. Many, many, MANY Americans could. Give us a chance!

[maxgen]

Given their goals, I couldn't have done a better job.

They got obscenely rich by gambling with other folks' money. Sure, the companies they worked for went down the toilet, their stock-holders went broke and we tax payers have to bail them out. But they were not the owners or big time stock holders. The decisions were made by those who were not primary risk takers.

Sounds to me like they were very successful.

[rucognizant]

YOU KNOW this is really bad. Things have gotten all twisted up.
Everybody was zombied out for the last 8 years. Little protest, no complaints­..........
unless it was over that woman with 3 kids down the street, living on Welfare because her husband beat the crap out of her.
WE PAID, an indicted embezzler, Ahmed CHalabi, wanted for stealing from a bank and sentenced to jail in Jorden, WE PAID HIM OUT OF OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY! for years.....­..........­...Saddam Husein WAS ON THE CIA PAYROLL YOUR MONEY!
We have sheltered a terrorist, wanted in Venezuela, for taking down an airliner with about 86 people ( ALL DIED) Guess they don't count they; were only Venezualen­s.........­...... He was released from jail in FLa. and I think is being sheltered in Texas ( where else?) even though Venezuela has the right to bring him to justice legally!
And now every one is FINALLY MAD, and ready to take after the Obama Administration with pitchforks? It's like your brother has been poking at you with a sharp stick for 2 days and you get so mad, you turn and slap your "baby sister" in the face! Huh? It's some kind of nightmare and the RW smear machine, snake oil salesmen are laughing their asses off because this is how they planned it to go. Counting on the stoopiid Murikans, who have been left behind in public school for several decades and can't do critical thinking! ( their doing as well)

[SteelTrapMind]

Clearly Rees did not read the editorial. Stop riding political populist Rhetoric, and decide whether or not America is a place of rule of law, or a place where mob rule and terror of not being popular is the guiding principle. No one likes these bonuses, but the facts of the case are simple: People unrelated to the AIG failures are being terrorized by mob behaviors, because people don't bother to note the 2.7 trillion debt of AIG was reduced to 1.6 Trillion, saving the taxpayers another trillion in bailout. Instead of vilifying the AIG workers, why not go after the Republican congressmen who dismantled Glass-Steagall, allowing this entire mess to build? Simple - It is the Right Wing who is fanning the flames of this populist blood thirst. Blame those who deserve it: BUSH'S congress and administration for beginning the bailout and leaving these contracts in place, and the GOP who tore down the rules holding this back.

[Artemis34]

What happened to the rule of law in the states the last 8 years?

No one is being terrorized by mob behaviors. They just don't want to be confronted with the truth of their own wrong doing.

These guys ARE the financial terrorist.

I'm sure there are legal loopholes in all their contracts. Retention bonuses for people no longer with the company? Performance bonuses for people wrecking the company? Sounds like a lawyer right out of passing the bar exam could get us out of this.

I'm sorry, the employees at AIG and the the rest of the companies being bailed out should be vilified because they are villains. But I agree that conservatives and Republicans with whom they colluded should be held responsible as well.

[in4success]

it's what the right does....i can bet my ass these threats aren't coming from liberals. and i'd bet my ass again the reason they're mentioned ever-so-often is because the PR company say it as a good sympathy campaign.

[AudsMom]

Completely agree...an­d 1000% funny as hell!

[Trittydi]

Laughed till I cried - OMG, that's funny!

More please.
*

[Tom Kenneally]

I love this guy! Get Your War On is one of the single greatest political satire cartoons I've ever seen, continuously delivering week after week. If you haven't checked it out, do it!

[ESerafina42]

It's funny - there was a story last week in the NYT about how the poor AIG executives felt that their privacy had been violated, blah blah blah, and the reporter(s) said that they went to the local police departments in the Connecticut towns where a lot of these guys live, and they said that THEY hadn't heard anything about any death threats. Now I know you might go to the FBI, but wouldn't you ALSO want to put your local police on alert too?

[plaidsportcoat]

exactly. thanks

[Dalpine]

Thank goodness Acorn is here to ride those buses and visit addresses to keep those nasty rich people in line.

[rsottong]

"Meanwhile American teenagers are getting shot at in Iraq because maybe the Army will help pay their college tuition?"

That puts things in perspective.

Many soldiers are in for the career, many are in to serve their country in a time of war -- but some are in for the education benefits. And that makes yours a good point.

[People Against Obama]

You are stupid and ignorant, the soldiers that are in IRAQ are there because they signed up for armed forces, they are not drafted, so instead of making it sound like they are down there for no reason, you should stand behind and support the troops instead of talking about things you dont know anything about.

[Artemis34]

First, I am a 16 year veteran of the US Army and your comments offend me. I mention this because you seem to think someone has to earn the right to speak their mind, which is a natural human right and guaranteed by the constitution. You do not have to "earn" it, it is a given.

Second, Services members pledge to defend the constitution of the United States which means we actually defend the rights of the people to free speech, agree with us or not. You comment dishonors all those who have defended the constitution.

Third, we are in Iraq, all our soldiers are in Iraq for not reason. Their service is honorable but I question the honor of the service of those who sent them there.

Fourth, many people enter the service voluntarily because they have fewer other economic options. Yes, there is also a financial motive. You can be a patriot and still be financially motivated.

I entered the Army in a previous recession. Not that I'm not a patriot, but being broke really pushed it over the edge. One comrade said how he had such a great civilian job and so much money before joining and I just said "Well then, you are stupid, aren't you!" Because, if you have economic choices, patriot or not, who would choose to dig holes to fill them back up to dig them again for a living!

Fifth, since you deem it so important, state your service record.

[DBtv]

Strong words from a nerd eating cheetos in his mom's basement.

[GatoPreto]

Rees, you're a true warrior. I remember you from the very early days, the whole run up to the fraudulent 'War on Terror' criminal extravaganza. There were a few, not many. It's been a tough ride.

Not many people have the right to call the BS, but you certainly do. Keep up the outstanding work.

[spinns17]

lets drop the issue .we have more important things to worry about.

[lowgear]

apparently not.

you're here

[AnnoyedCanuck]

Tee, hee. Artful riposte.

Good one, lowgear.

[gevan]

Could the death threats come from fellow employees who have access to the e-mail addresses of these greed mongers? Naw, that would be less than honest. And we know that ethics play a large role in the conduct of all AIG employees, don't we.

[Amhet]

Boy we sure need to show our outrage at the AIG execs, dont we? After all, they TOOK federal bailout money to line their pockets.

What is really less than honest is all the feigned outrage with AIG when it was the Obama administration that let it happen....­. but it looks better to try to blame those capitalist pigs that took our money. And we shouldnt blame ACORN for loading up busses to have "spontaneous" protests outside the AIG execs homes, AIG headquarters, and (dont ask me why) Merrill Lynch headquarters in New York.

Why should we blame AIG for their ethics when it was Turbotax Tim that negotiated the whole thing? Why blame AIG when the bonuses were written into the Porkulus bill that passed congress and signed by BO? How do we blame AIG when Turbotax Tim, as head of the NY Fed, coordinated the initial TARP for AIG..... but yet he is so ethical that he "didnt know about the bonuses" until Mar 13th? When the government has ownership of 80% of AIG, why did they not renegotiate the contracts?

Is it right to be outraged at AIG getting bonuses when Jamie Gorelick and co at FNMA got $millions after falsifying balance statements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Where was the outrage and demands that they give their money back to the government?

[timinhi]

You're right. They should ALL give the money back, ESPECIALLY the AIG bonus babies. The government has no business doling out money to ridiculously wealthy fatcats who were paid more money in one day to drive their companies & the economy into the ground than most hard-working Americans would make in several lifetimes. I've worked in all levels of several businesses and for the government, and I could not imagine getting even a penny bonus, no matter how productive I personally may have been, if the company failed to make a profit, let alone if it were bankrupted. Anyone who defends these bonuses is simply an idiot. At what point did it become appropriate in American business to contract with employees to provide guarranteed bonuses, no matter what level of performance the employee provided or the company experienced? If this is what is being taught in the Harvard Business School, it's no wonder our most recent former president mismanaged our country and every business he ever touched.

[plaidsportcoat]

good luck convincing people aig is obama's fault. weak. just look who has 50% of all the money in the world - the top ONE percent. get a grip on who your little butt needs to stand up for

[rucognizant]

Oh Looky! Amhet Van Winkel just woke up after his 100 years sleep! He missed the bush tax cuts to the rich 8 years ago and the bush bailouts last fall!
& timinhi...­......"At what point did it become appropriate in American business to contract with employees to provide guarranteed bonuses, no matter what level of performance the employee provided or the company experienced?" It was in the late 80's......­.....I watched it happening. Some3 snarky young lions came along muscled their way into CEO positions. edged out the over 50's before they could get a gold watch and retire at 65. It was all up hill for THEM from then on. Most people were too buy sy riding the Clinton bonanza exporess in the 90's to notice. Being one of the over 50's my modest run at prosperity had ended.
My Dad was U of P Wharton School class of 34' I watched first hand how business used to be run, and how they changed, until I could only conclude that they were teaching something different @ Harvard Yale etc., these days.

[mataliandy]

Ahmet,

The AIG TRAP money (with bonuses) was negotiated as part of the Bush bailout. Geithner *is* partially responsible - because he and Bush appointees Paulson, and Bernanke negotiated the deal. Geithner was NY Fed chief at the time.

Please note: Geithner had not yet been hired by Obama to represent the people's interest, because Obama wasn't President, yet. Instead, his job at the time was to represent Wall Street. He did that. Sadly, it appears to be a role he has not relinquished, since he clearly continued to support the bonuses during the second round of TRAP funding, and is doing an excellent job painting a picture of false-dichotomy, between two equally unacceptable and inappropriate options for resolving the problem.

This is why we on the left are not happy with Geithner. However, being unhappy with Geithner does not make us gullible, nor does it shorten our attention spans, so we continue to be aware of the Bush era, 30 years of right-wing insistence on deregulation of all-things, and W's exciting game of "OMG! The ECONOMY! Quick, Give Us All Your Money!" last fall.