Distraction

I'm not sure if this happens in other fields - I'm guessing it does - but I find that an awful lot of what goes on in the world reminds me of the primacy of communication. Then, when I think about communication, I think about the importance of being logical. Which leads me to the enormous hoopla about executive bonuses, namely, those unfortunately paid by AIG to its people.

It would be easy, speaking of logic, to feel a need to comprehend why AIG sallied forth with a plan that (in retrospect) looks a lot like a greedy company hurling toxic waste at already angry taxpayers. But let's not look back. This is now, and AIG brass have in their fists very nice bonus checks (which some may be loath to return because - of course - they've already committed them to a new vacation home or liposuction for the whole extended family). American taxpayers are madder than wet hens as they gaze at their household bills, their unemployment checks, oh, and let's not forget their 401 (k) statements, now printed on post-it notes due to the reduced number of digits in the account balances.

It's the present that worries me. The new U.S. administration has a lot to do. Most likely (!) we should REALLY tighten up our bonus rules for companies taking tax dollars from annoyed citizens. But we should admit (if sourly) that the estimated $218 million (gulp!) in AIG bonuses is a trifle in comparison to the $XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX* in total loans, bailouts, offerings to the gods and whatever else we're throwing in the fires of the Great Recession. *(I'm looking for a total dollar figure but there are so many choices I'm getting terribly confused). And because we are v-e-r-y busy with important matters, surely we shouldn't act draconian and transparently political and impose a retroactive 90% tax on this AIG bonus money. Pul-eazze. What if these were working class people? Or union members? Who the heck gets taxed 90% on ANY form of income? Sure, we must address the gaping holes we find in our new recession-fighting programs, and there will be plenty of those. I'm saying that this done-deal-already-contracted-already-paid AIG bonus is a foolish distraction at best and a damaging misuse of our government's, news media's and public's valuable focus at worst.

I like the idea of highly bonused AIG executives graciously returning the money. But whether that happens or not, let's move forward with the business at hand. Let's not spend too much energy and time chasing a couple of hundred million dollars that, even though it sounds like a lot, in the end will mean Very Little in the face of the Very Much we need to fix.