The Real Problem With Enron
by Selwyn Duke
          
    We all know what the talk of the town is right now: it's the collapse of energy giant Enron
due to the nefarious practices of some corporate bigwigs. And, in just the same way that a
massacre is latched onto by the media and used as a clarion call for gun-control, this event is
being used to justify greater government intervention into our lives, which of course is a further
removal of our freedoms. The problem here is a failure to understand the problem, which leads
to the prescription of a cure that's worse than the disease. We wouldn't conclude after dropping
one glass of milk on the floor that we should cease to carry milk, or discard the glass in which it
was contained, but that's exactly what we do when we make policy based on anecdotal evidence.
While the damage is infinitely greater, the truth is that one shooting or one case of corporate
fraud is statistically no more significant than a little spilt milk. But people often fail to see the
forest from the trees; they have their eyeballs so closely affixed to the map, that they see only the
scene of the crime and not the whole map. So, let's back up a bit and see if we can widen our
perspective and see the big picture.
    I don't have to tell you that human nature is fraught with frailty. We have always and will
always have people who commit crimes, and those who are unfaithful; lawyers who manipulate the law for their own ends, auto mechanics charging for work not done and doctors committing
malpractice. We'll always be able to find examples of people violating every moral imperative
in the book - that's the nature of the beast. But the saying "the devil is in the details" is quite
apropos here, because we'll never understand ANY societal problem, be it one of the above or
some other or Enron, unless we view it within the context of the whole society. To do otherwise
would be like a doctor treating symptoms and not the underlying cause. The disease must be
identified, and you do that by understanding that ALL the symptoms must be viewed as being
indicative of a systemic malaise.
    Now, let's move on to the diagnosis, by putting the symptoms exhibited by the body of
America in perspective. I mentioned transgressing lawyers, doctors, corporate executives,
spouses, etc., but what do all people who do things wrong have in common? Sure, the nature of
their misdeeds might be different, but what is a common thread? The answer is very simple: all
people who do wrong, do things that are wrong. So the issue is not simply how to prevent
another Enron, or another school shooting or another politician from taking bribes. Because it's
not just about misdeeds within the context of a corporation, a home, a restaurant or a sports
arena - it's about misdeeds period. So the issue is a much larger and age-old one: how can
civilization minimize the number of wrongs that will be done?
    The answer to the last question is pretty simple too, but alas, common-sense is very
uncommon. I submit to you, that what has increased the chances of corporate malfeasance is the
same thing that has caused there to be more crime in the streets, and children to be more
disobedient. Namely, the across the board lack of accountability -  the lack of effective
punishment in our nation. In Singapore they have almost no crime, and why? Michael Faye, the
teen-age American who received a well-deserved caning some years back can tell you. It's
because the punishment administered there is so severe that almost no one will take the chance
of running afoul of the law. Children years ago were obedient to their parents, whereas now . . .
well . . . let's just say there's a reason why ritalin has replaced Pez - and why were they obedient? Because our grandparents used the application of a switch to the posterior, and knew that "time-outs" should be reserved for football games.
    So, how do you minimize the chances of more Enron fiascoes? Well, if the offending
corporate slugs would have all their wealth seized and find themselves living a Spartan lifestyle
in a work-camp, do you think very many kindred spirits would want to roll the dice similarly and
risk finding themselves in a neighboring cell? You see, we'll always have people who are
governed not by what's right, but by unenlightened self-interest. These people will always do a
cost/benefit analysis of their prospective actions when deciding to act rightly or wrongly. It's up to us to make sure that when they do, it's patently obvious that the risk/reward factor weighs heavily
against them. This is the REAL issue that underlies Enron. We need to make a wholesale change
in our attitude regarding justice. We need to dispense with the permissive, liberal nonsense and
once again make sure that those who do wrong get what they deserve: a day's suffering for a
day's misdeeds. Of course, you won't hear this truth from pseudo-intellectual academics, or
pundits or pandering politicians who try to lay the blame at the feet of political opponents. Most
of them will drone on about the minutiae of new laws and regulations we supposedly are in dire
need of, and this is a shame. Because we should learn something from the Enron debacle, but it
should be about what really ails the patient - not just his latest symptom.
    
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