Profiting from Tragedy – the Caylee Anthony doll

The commercialization of civilization.

It is a shameful time. A time to reflect about how low things have sunk. And how crass and how utterly mercenary some people have become. How they think that material gain excuses any insensitivity to the pain of others.

I was shocked that a business from Jacksonville even thought they could profit from poor Caylee Anthony’s death, when I read this post on CNN: Outrage halts launch of Caylee Sunshine doll. The post went to explain that the public was outraged that Jaime Salcedo, president of Showbiz Promotions created a doll called Caylee Sunshine. I am glad that people stood up for what is right and denounced this act of profiting from tragedy. It tells me that there is some hope left for us. That there are still good people around.

When asked about his profit motives, Mr.Salcedo demurred, saying that he was only doing a public service. He was donating money to charity. But, was he? The dolls were priced at $29.99 and he was planning on donating $3 to charity. He had not even identified a charity for donation yet.

Regardless of whatever excuse Mr.Salcedo has come up now in the face of public uproar, the very thought that he even took this idea to fruition is sickening and insensitive.

This is what commercialization of our civilization has done to us. Look around you: Bernie Madoff, John Thain, Joseph Bruno, Ted Stevens, Jack Abramoff, Citibank Jet purchase with public money, AIG spa treatment with public money, and now hundreds more scams being revealed.

We’ve gotten so deep into consumerism and materialism that people don’t matter anymore. Nothing matters except money. That’s what got us in this economic mess. The greed. The corruption. The insensitivity. The lobbying. The racketeering.

Maybe this is our time to stop and ponder about our missed path.

Walll Street Fiddles as America Burns!

We Americans have our very own reincarnation of Nero – The fools at Wall Street.

Nero, the fifth and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was known for his tyranny and extravagance. But, his greatest claim to fame was that he fiddled while Rome burnt!

Our Neros think John Thain’s (Merill Lynch’s CEO) profligacy is warranted and a “just a drop in the bucket” compared to the money that Merrill Lynch makes each quarter.

I wish the Wall Street types who said this would do their homework first. Merrill was posting losses every quarter. There was no money being made. Merrill was laying off employees in order to save money. And John Thain was preaching to his leftover employees to CUT spending while he refurbished his office!

Is this the reason why we are all in this mess? Because the CEOs who are hired by corporations dont think they need to do their homework before spouting nonsense? Because they refuse to face reality? Because they are so puffed up with their own importance that they think they are worthy of an office costing $1.22 million?

Because they continue to fiddle while America burns?

If they don’t have bread, let them eat cake!!

Quick! Whose were these famous last words that triggered the French revolution? Who was sent to the guillotine for saying this?

- Marie Antoinette – the French Queen!

And again, quick! Who has Marie Antoinette reincarnated as, in this life?

Guess? Can’t guess? Are there too many top executives in America who fit Marie Antoinette’s utterly tasteless, utterly stupid, utterly crass, utterly self-centered, and utterly greedy life style?

Here is a hint:

- Guess who, while cutting off his employees lifelines by laying them off work by the thousands in order to “save” the company, was simultaneously spending $1.22 million of the same company’s money in refurbishing his office?
- Guess who had the company pay $87,000 for an area rug for his tender left foot in his office?
- Guess who needed another area rug for $44,000, for his other tender foot?
- How about a mahogany pedestal table for $25,000?
- What about a 19th Century Credenza for $68,000? A sofa for $15,000? Four pairs of curtains for $28,000? A pair of guest chairs for $87,000? A George IV Desk for $18,000?
- How about the ultimate slap on our faces – the $35,000 toilet bowl, paid for with our retirement savings?

And on and on, until the bill came up to $1.22 million?

Ah! Got it now, did ya!

Looks like Madame Antoinette didn’t learn even after being guillotined in her previous incarnation. Reborn as the asinine Mr. John Thain, CEO of the sunken Merrill Lynch,  Johnny boy had the tremendous gall to spend $1.22 million on trivialities whilst laying off hard-working Americans who worked for him. He actually committed crimes of commission worse than poor, stupid Marie Antoinette’s crime of omission.

At least Marie just sat in her ivory tower and didn’t realize what her people were going through.

But John? Oh John! Don’t you understand? Didn’t the people’s wrath teach you anything at all? A whiff of honor? Some integrity? A dash of empathy? A small modicum of decency? No?

Well, John -  Did you know that an honorable captain sinks with the ship? That is why he is CAPTAIN. He saves all his people even when he goes down.

Not you, Johnny! You sunk your people while you feathered your nest.