150 years. A lot can happen in a century and a half. For instance within the last 150 years we have developed planes, cars, computers, pizza bites, ipods, and nuclear power. All of these things have revolutionized our day to day lives. 150 years ago people were just beginning to adjust to the idea that cars didn't crap in the street like horses have a knack for doing. If that isn't an improvement of quality of life I don't know what is.
So why am I so interested in what was going on 150 years ago you ask? Well, today Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for operating the largest ponzi scheme ever known and I'm just wondering how I feel about that. (Just in case you need to know a ponzi scheme is when you pay investors returns on their investments with other investor's money. Instead of investing the money coming in you just distribute it to other investors and pocket the rest. This method is named for Charles Ponzi who was an immigrant that pulled this stunt about 100 years ago. Don't feel bad if you didn't know because I had to look it up).
I mean the guy did swindle billions from thousands of investors since the early 90's but holy crap that's a long time! Not only was his sentence the maximum allowable penalty by law but also the guy is in his 70's. The judge cited the length of the sentence being "symbolic" and a deterrent for the future. Now don't get me wrong, I think what he did was horrible, despicable, and totally without remorse but it seems like a slight departure from the slap on the wrist that we expect white collar criminals to come away with. Even the former CEO Jeffrey Skilling received a fraction of that for his role in the Enron debacle.
Let me put a 150 year sentence in perspective. Sentencing rules for murder go something like this. With no prior criminal record murder one usually carries a 120-121 month (10 years)sentence all the way to a life sentence with the presumption that there were no other mitigating factors. (Don't worry I didn't know what mitigating factors were either. That's when someone shows extreme behavior either to cause harm or prevent harm. Like using a weapon or if the person acted in self defense. The Internet is awesome!). That doesn't even take into account a possible %20 reduction in time served for good behavior. Does this mean that the judicial system now thinks it is easier to reform a murderer in a few years as opposed to someone who steals money?
Let me take this opportunity to say that I don't mean for this to be a morality debate on if thieves or murderers should get more time in prison. Personally I think every case deserves careful deliberation and I'm all for the punishment fitting the crime. However in Bernard Madoff's case I think there could have been a more fitting punishment than sticking him in a cell that is funded by the tax dollars of those that he stole from. Talk about ironic, this guy just can't stop taking people's money.
I think that forcing him to be one of those dancing Statue of Liberty tax promoters would have been more appropriate. Although I'm already disturbed by thinking about letting those people do my taxes and having Mr. Madoff as your spokesman for anything to do with money might be bad for business. I could get behind him being a chimney sweep under court supervision. Although maybe that would turn out to be an awesome job. I've never met any chimney sweeps. What if the court made him work on one of those crab fishing boats until he made enough money to pay back the money he stole? I suppose that wouldn't work either because then we would have to give him his own reality show on Discovery. Maybe there is no way to punish him adequately for his crime but I just feel like everyone got cheated by simply stuffing this old crook in a cell to rot.
Personally I think I'm hoping that we develop some type of medical treatment to keep Bernie alive for the next 150 years. Just think what he'll walk out of prison to find. Flying cars, holographic computers, pizza bites 2.0, and cold fusion. That is assuming the adjustment to outside life doesn't get to him like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption. Then he will have to find work in this futuristic world where employment options for a 220 year old ex-con consist of the guy who sprays futuristic bowling shoes with disinfectant and the manager of a flying rental car company. Now that will be the day that justice is served.
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