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by Tommy Ates
Well, well, what a difference a huge financial collapse can
make! The Bush administration is now getting bushwhacked with inquiries
and rumors regarding the Enron meltdown. Who would have thought the
Houston-based oil broker, whose dealings in hidden partnerships and
'cooked' financial records to hide enormous losses (plus, being America's
seventh largest company), would have finally healed Washington from
patriot amnesia stemming from the September attacks? Well, I'll be! Money
does buy happiness!
In terms of 'good old boys,' we can add Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill (a
Democrat) and Commerce Secretary Donald Evans (old Bushite) to the 'no see
evil, no hear evil, no speak evil' crew, even though the devil knocked on
the door and they answered. No wonder the nation's economic policy cannot
see the forest for the trees, it is on the political donor's beck and
call.
All the while, Presidential spokesperson Ari Fleischer says the Bush
administration has no prior knowledge of Enron's predicament or that they
intervened as the company's behalf to the disbelief of many in Congress.
How can executives be able to contact secretaries of the Cabinet and have
word not go to the President's hands? It's a shame that the Bush
administration may have not blown the whistle on Enron's dirty dealings
before thousands of innocent workers lost their jobs as well as retirement
benefits.
But seriously, can anyone really be surprised that Enron executives
(Chairman Kenneth Lay and co.) had access to heads of the Treasury and
Labor departments to give them the heads up and possible want help? After
all, Enron has been President Bush's biggest contributor and the company's
mammoth political contributions helped bolster many Republicans into
office. The Enron debacle is a prime example of money buying access and
how the corporation can circumvent laws enabling the legality of
white-collar robbery of the lower-classes, while blue-collar masses face
severe penalties for defying the corporation (even without a gun), just
for slipping a piece of paper to the bank teller.
To make things worse, the Republican administration never offered to
provide relief for the employees or suggest solutions (via resolutions) to
make corporate behavior like Enron's less likely to occur. An official not
telling how a stock price once valued at $83 could plummet to less than a
dollar undermines the public trust. With no agenda, yet quiet smiles in
the cabinets' public statements, more Americans are realizing that
Attorney General John Ashcroft and Interior Secretary Gale Norton are not
just conservative anomalies, rather they are part of a wider, greater
effort of conservative appointees to provide legislative cover for big
business to generate greater profits as the average, working-class
American suffers.
Meanwhile, all the flying paper (not from World Trade Center) nearly
blinds everyone to the little told plight of indigent, migrant workers who
have helped to the cleanup Ground Zero. Many of these working-class
laborers (who worked alongside firemen and police) were recruited by
contractor firms to clean at the site, as well as the streets in downtown
New York, but even in the extreme sadness of the tragedy, business
continued as normal, with many workers being stiffed in pay and forced to
work long hours. Now many of these unsung (and unappreciated) heroes are
developing throat and lung ailments due to their exposure.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration has not taken an active step in
protecting its most vulnerable workers; but luckily New York State is
attempting to accommodate their needs. Apparently the administration is
taking a cue from Enron - accept the credit they didn't create and leave
the voiceless others holding the bag.
However, the migrant workers are not alone in their plight, many
downtown residents, firemen, and police officers are also suffering from
ailments due to the smoke and ash that permeated the air as the towers
fell. Many of which are now on personal leave unable to work. The EPA
declared it safe for residents (and workers) that the area was safe to
return in less than a week. Could it be that another government agency
spoke to soon in the "Keep America Rolling" campaign (i.e. the Office of
Homeland Security with the shoe bomber)? I hope not; there does not need
to be more innocent victims post-Sept. 11 besides the Afghan people, and
the hundreds of detained Arabic men.
As for the Enron-gate distraction, will there be criminal charges ordered
in the wake of the multi-million dollar theft? Maybe. Will the executives
still keep most, if not, all of the booty? You 'betcha! The American
justice system in inaction for a price!
Yes, folks; it may be sad; but I, for one, am ironically comforted to see
that human nature is no different than the system under which we live: be
it a rich man doing insider trading or a poor man performing a bank
robbery, greed is universal.
Tommy Ates is 27 year-old black male from Austin, Texas, trying to get a
get a job, keep a job, and not go crazy. You can reach him at atesbodhi5@aol.com
Left Is RightTM (http://www.leftisright.net)
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