It's Like the Old Saying Goes

Apparently in China, you do not kill the bribe. The bribe will eventually kill you.

According to the May 30, 2007 issue of USA Today, China recently sentenced their former food and drug safety chief to death. Zheng Xiaoyu was found guilty of taking more than $832,000 in cash and gifts during his 1998-2005 term. The 62-year old Zheng had lucrative and powerful partnerships with eight Chinese pharmaceutical companies that resulted, among other things, the deaths of at least 10 patients due to a faulty antibiotic that were approved during Zheng’s tenure.

I’m reading this story and I’m flabbergasted. A government official being punished for endangering the lives of the public he served? A government court system that actually punishes someone for a crime regardless of their public station in life? Meanwhile, we’re going gaga here in the U.S. because a judge in California finally had the testicular fortitude to throw Celebutante, Paris Hilton into jail the same way all regular probation jumpers would.

Who is the backwards country now?

Every day in the U.S. we are constantly bombarded with news stories about corruption and underhanded dealings by government and/or corporate entities. Sure they get caught with their hands in the cookie jar – but is there really any just punishment?

Look, I’m not advocating that we use the death penalty to wipe the slate clean. But I’m concerned with the lack of true justice for the victims of people who abuse their power. Think about it for a moment will you? Sure we hear all sorts of scandals with mega corps ala Enron and World Com. In all these cases, greed took over and the victims of the defendant’s crimes lost time, money, careers, and financial security. The effects were devastating in these early decade scandals and they are still being felt today.

But what happened to the people that actually committed the crime? It just seems really screwed up that there’s a different set of rules in the U.S. for regular people, while the rich and powerful seem to escape such criticisms.

In the case of Enron, the high flying arrogance of Jeffrey Skilling landed him 24 years in jail and $45 million in penalties. He began his stint at the low security prison in Waseca, Minnesota in December 2006. Meanwhile, the thousands of people who were victims of the Enron numbers game still have no idea how they will finance the futures they thought they had.

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales is still living with the shadows of a decision to dismiss eight U.S. Attorneys in December 2006. The eight were then replaced by what many current events watchers call “loyal Bushies.” While practices like these have been part of both Republican and Democratic strategies over the course of many administrations, but changes like these normally come at the beginning of the term, not the middle. Also, Gonzales claims the decision wasn’t his – he left it up to his staff.

When was the last time YOU worked a job where the employees decided who got the ax? How about we try…NEVER!

Alas, Gonzales’ case was pushed aside in the media due to the tragic events that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus. Obviously, something is going on. But Gonzales will more than likely never have to answer for it because no one wants to challenge him.

Because of things like this, it is no wonder I read about the Chinese and feel like there’s an imbalance of vindication. Zheng is ultimately responsible for deaths in his country and the countries China exported to. It’s a little funny that the U.S. led the charge in pressuring China to change its food and drug ways. In essence, we asked them to clean house – without dusting up a bit in our own home.

It’s sad that we’re slowing losing the true meanings of right and wrong. We’re caught up in the buzz of being the biggest and the best that we’ve created a separate super society of almost “untouchables.” There’s this huge gap that keeps growing and more layers of protection keep coming on. Money, power, status…it just keeps coming.

We’re a giant heading for big awakening. And you know what they say about the bigger things are…