Posted by
Sam Aron on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 4:04:13 PM
The old, retired man with the big glasses is having some tips that might also be correct and helpful in main street, in daily life, and even in politics: Be honest, and in the end you'll succeed!
While he's preparing 2 speeches, I would advice Joe Liebermann to keep this sentence in mind.
Joe is experiencing today what a few Wall St. execs went through several years ago. Their colleagues "cooked the books" to produce numbers that will earn them applause by the shareholders meeting. The honest people, who stuck to the laws, rules and truth, suffered a lot. Some where ousted in revolts, other saw their stock prices declining sharply. The chefs secured them selves hefty salaries, bonuses and pensions, while the true people didn't qualified for raises, due to their firm's poor performance.
I believe that when Greenspan stood before an audience of business grads or new college students, he had in mind this few execs who stuck to the truth, non withstanding how hard, against the stream, and unpopular it was. I don't remember the exact quote, but the substance was: don't be dragged into murky practices by others' successes. Go your way, and in the end you'll succeed!
Needless to say that a lot of the past successful chefs got burned from the fire. Yes, they enjoyed a year, two or three in prosperity, but it came to a quick end. Now, they, their company and investors are paying a heavy toll for it. Some companies had collapsed, had to reinstate earnings, pay fines, individuals are serving prison sentences, or standing trials.
The honest people suffered, but they're now vindicated. Now we realize that they didn't performed poorly, rather they presented the truth.
Now we have the same game in politics. Though there is no SEC to punish the crooks, public opinion will in the end see the real difference between honesty and opportunists, who'd do everything to win elections and ride with the stream.
Joe Liebermann is endangered because of his integrity. He's facing a possible defeat in the "appeasement" party because he stuck to his true ideals, and didn't abandoned a war that we started with good conscience.
I wish he should win today's primaries. Although I don't think that his party is deserving such a fine public servant on their ticket, I don't want him to go through the pain of loosing an election and being slapped for his honesty.
But in case he have to use the concession speech, continuing as an independent, I want Joe to remember that eventually his bravery and nobel stand will bring him recognition and praise.