by hilzoy
Something about the AIG story is bringing out strange reactions. Chuck Grassley:
"In a comment aired this afternoon on WMT, an Iowa radio station, Grassley (R-Iowa) said: "The first thing that would make me feel a little bit better towards them if they'd follow the Japanese model and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say I'm sorry, and then either do one of two things -- resign, or go commit suicide." (...)
Nobody else has suggested hara kiri for AIG executives, and Grassley's spokeswoman tried to make clear the senator didn't really mean it."
Meanwhile, Paul Kedrosky has a post called "The Case For Waterboarding AIG Execs". (No, he's not serious either.)
Mel Martinez has one of the dumbest comments on the whole affair:
""What executives have done is troubling, but it's equally troubling to have government telling shareholders how much they can pay the executives," said Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL)."
Um, Senator Martinez: who exactly do you think owns 79.9% of AIG's shares? Or do you just object to the government talking to itself?
All very peculiar.
I'm cool with apologies followed by ritual suicide. Or should we make them promise to go Galt on us and withdraw their talents from our society?
I'm hoping that Cuomo gets the list of names. And leaks the names to the public.
Posted by: wonkie | March 17, 2009 at 02:15 AM
Mel Martinez is an idiot.
Posted by: Redhand | March 17, 2009 at 04:40 AM
Ritual suicide? No, the public deserves justice, they shouldn't be allowed off the hook.
Posted by: yoyo | March 17, 2009 at 05:34 AM
Speaking of harakiri, I recommend the movie Seppuku (called Harakiri in English, but the term is rather coarse in Japanese) directed by Masaki Kobayashi. This review gives a hint and this review starts off with
Seppuku is a story of massive unjustifiable layoffs leading to disgraceful acts and deaths.
Take a look at the movie and then hope for a Hanshiro Tsugumo. AIG deserves it.
Posted by: liberal japonicus | March 17, 2009 at 08:56 AM
Sure; any other sequence wouldn't work.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | March 17, 2009 at 09:01 AM
I'd settle for firing their @sses.
Posted by: russell | March 17, 2009 at 09:11 AM
I just e-mailed Martinez, (I'm in his district) to ask him what f?
Posted by: Dan Robinson | March 17, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Isn't it just so cute how Martinez actually thinks that shareholders have a realistic say in executive compensation even when the shares are owned privately? Priceless.
Posted by: Lewis Carroll | March 17, 2009 at 03:31 PM