The AIG Death Threats

[JI7]

by David Reese :


"It seems every news story about the AIG bonuses now makes reference to anonymous death threats that are pouring into the company.

I started making left-wing political cartoons one month after 9/11. At that time, most people weren't exactly pumped to hear someone making fun of the whole idea of a "War on Terror" and calling President Bush an idiot. I got my share of nasty emails.

I also received death threats. (I soon learned this comes with the territory.) I set up a special folder in my email program where I dumped all the creepy junk: the missives from the guy who fantasized about sodomizing me with a grenade launcher; the guy who said he was gonna personally beat the shit out of me; the guy who asked inappropriate questions about my wife, etc. etc.

Anyway, my point is: Did I go around crying about all these threats? NO. Did I punk out like a little baby and stop making cartoons? NO. Did I go whine to Congress about "Boo-hoo, I can't tell you who got the bonuses, they might receive a nasty email"? NO. I took a deep breath and rolled up my sleeves and -- after a strange phone call in the middle of the night -- got my number de-listed and went about my business like a champ.

And mind you, when I received these threats, I wasn't working in some high-security office building and living in a fancy gated community with no sidewalks where you need a passcode just to go to the golf course. Hardly. I was a schlub in a bathrobe living in a third-story Brooklyn walk-up. The only way I could've been a softer target would be if I was made out of Yoplait.

And I wasn't exactly getting paid millions of dollars for my troubles, either. I was temping part-time for $20/hour and GIVING ALL MY GODDAMN MONEY AWAY, because it was post-9/11 America and we were all supposed to pull together and chip in for the common good. Remember when?

My God, though -- if I had been making that sweet AIG money, not only would I have happily endured a few more death threats, I WOULD HAVE ACTIVELY LET PEOPLE TRY TO KILL ME.

Pay me $700,000 a year, or however much the AIG guy whining in today's New York Times made, and you can threaten me with death all goddamn day. Because do you have any idea how much money that is??? Hell, I'll let you throw rocks at me. I'll let you poison my soup. You can slash my tires and spray-paint my driveway. AND ONCE I GET ALL THAT MONEY, I'M TOTALLY PAYING OFF SOME STUDENT LOANS AND FIXING THE GARAGE ROOF AND BUYING SOME NEW PANTS. Because that's an insane amount of money.

These AIG losers bring the country's financial system to its knees, get paid millions of dollars for their troubles, walk away unscathed, and then turn around and complain because some idiot using a computer at the public library decides to hit "send" before catching his breath?

Meanwhile American teenagers are getting shot at in Iraq because maybe the Army will help pay their college tuition?

"Death threats?" Seriously?

Here's my proposal to the AIG bigwigs:

You give me all the money you made at AIG and I'll shoulder the impossible burden you're living with.

Any takers?

==============

UPDATE (3/26/09): For the record, I am NOT condoning death threats! ALL credible threats should be investigated and prosecuted. I should think this would go without saying, but some commenters have implied that I am pro-death-threat. I am not pro-death-threat. I am ANTI-DEATH THREAT. Death threats suck. They are creepy and depressing. Thanks."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-rees/the-aig-death-threats_b_179192.html

[notadmblnd]

1. it's time they put on their big boy panties and deal with it.

C'mon guys, pull yourself up by your boot straps like the rest of us are told to do and get offf the government dole.

[RB TexLa]

2. So when 10 or so of them are laying in a pool of blood in front of an AIG building somewhere

you'll be first to run up and tell them to pull themselves up by their boot straps? Or just stop the government owned ambulance from responding to them?

[Egalitariat]

3. It's amazing to me how when the tables turn, everyone assumes the opposite roles

We criticize them for behaviors we used to embody. They criticize us for behaviors they used to embody.

In politics, we are all hypocrites. All the time.

[terisan]

6. I too am amazed.nt

[notadmblnd]

4. I don't recall advocating any sort of violence

Can you point out where I did that? I talked about them accepting welfare from the US government. The way I see it, the bonuses were nothing but welfare checks. They've earned nothing.

[RB TexLa]

5. I'm sure you wouldn't want them to accept the welfare of a government owned and operated

ambulance.

[notadmblnd]

7. When I needed an ambulance, I was billed for it.

Where you live, you may have access to government funded ambulance service, I don't know? If all citizens of your community are entitled to the same service as these execs are, then why would I care? Surely you know the answer to that too? However, just because you're sure about something, it doesn't necessarily make you right.