On the other hand, Madoff made off with trillions of free lunches, got caught, and is still living the life of Riley while he awaits charges and trial. So at worst he'll spend a few years in some countryclub called a federal prison by any other name, get out and live like a king on the loot he'd made off with before he got caught.
Once an FBI agent who'd come calling for some info on my neighbor who was applying for a job with the FBI got into a casual conversation about law ... at the time I was working as a paralegal and so was on the fringes of law but close enough that we could converse like two normal adults about the 'forbidden' subject -- a subject that law enforcement officers of all rank and breed do not talk about with civilians -- crime. He admitted to my proposition that the reason we have organized crime and allow it to continue is because the alternative is far worse -- disorganized, random, impulse driven crime. He also validated my thesis that 'crime does not pay' is just so much bullshit fed to the public; that in fact crime does pay and pays handsomely too. And he corroborated my third thesis that the only criminals in jails are the dumb ones; the smart ones were still out there getting away with it and laughing up their sleeves. On Mar 2, 12:25 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > Okay, I buy that except for the spiritual and emotional damage having > no conscience engenders. But closer to reality, a blend of the two > have costs but they are small by comparison. I feel no compunction > about beating taxes nor from taking from the public pot. My defense > -- or rather excuse -- is that as soon as politicians, banks, > corporations and other such entities cease the same actions, I will > too. However, in a more rational and reasoned approach, I do regret > to a small degree not paying taxes and taking government handouts. > Would that I lived in a world where such behavior was rewarded rather > than punished I think I'd be a very well balanced and happy man. > > On Mar 2, 11:20 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > There are free lunches Gruff, as long as one is free of conscience! > > > On 2 Mar, 14:35, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > It may be enviable from one perspective, Vam, but there is a price to > > > pay. Not that that's an excuse for anything. There are always > > > prices to pay. But it's true as some wiseacre once said, there's no > > > such thing as a free lunch. > > > > On Mar 1, 8:50 pm, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Wow, Gruff, don't I envy your unliable state of such delectable > > > > freedoms ! Seriously. > > > > > On 2 Mar, 00:32, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I may be the outlaw, outlier, oddball on this issue, but I've always > > > > > regarded property as owning you rather than you owning property. You > > > > > never finish paying for it (assessments, property taxes, maintenance, > > > > > etc.). You have to pay fees and commissions to buy property and pay > > > > > fees and commissions again when you sell it. You have to protect it > > > > > with homestead declarations and a plethora of insurance to cover all > > > > > the possibilities that insurance does it's best to exempt itself from > > > > > paying. You can't pack up your property and move it to a new location > > > > > if you get some lousy neighbors, and you're always subject to lawsuits > > > > > and other claims from careless transgressors, trespassers and > > > > > tradesmen. Owning property has never struck me as such a good > > > > > deal. > > > > > > I own my RV which, since it's got wheels, fulfills my primary > > > > > consideration -- mobility. I have no insurance on anything except for > > > > > the absolute minimum required by law (liability only). Of course I > > > > > also have no responsibilities: no wife, no kids, no debt, no property, > > > > > and no headaches. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
