The AIG bonuses are a travesty. The public was tricked into being outraged. We were manipulated by our government. I say this after reading the resignation letter of AIG executive Jake DeSantis, published in The New York Times. Reading it made me angry, not at AIG, rather at our government. We were deliberately provoked and led to believe those people were greedy; that corporations like AIG are not to be trusted.
DeSantis stated former executives had been replaced by people who were not part of the scandalous behavior leading to the financial breakdown. They were hired to correct the mistakes of the old management. They accepted jobs knowing AIG was facing bankruptcy. Their reward for sticking it out was a bonus.
Yet we were led to believe these executives were the ones who ran AIG into the ground. To add insult to injury, Congress knew that, and knew about the bonuses. Yet on TV, Congress had the audacity to berate them and belittle their character to the point these people were shamed and embarrassed.
I think it’s time we stop trusting what government officials say and do. I think it’s time people demand the media do their jobs and report the news accurately and impartially.
Tim McClure, Lisbon Falls