Five Years On, A Lehman Hero Emerges
De BISAWiki
Five years after Lehman Brothers collapsed, the likelihood of a high-profile criminal case as a result of the financial crisis has shrunk to almost nothing. Rita M. Glavin, a former federal prosecutor, said, "It's not like a murder case, where you have a dead body and you know a crime has been committed." (1) And without evidence, any government official of conscience cannot move forward with charges. That is a feature of our system, not a failing.
Hindsight is sharper, if not always quite 20/20. The fact that no one from Lehman Brothers acted in a way that merits prosecution does not mean nobody made mistakes, or that policymakers have nothing to learn from the firm's collapse and the subsequent economic fallout. But the lessons we learned from the collapse are not substitutes for evidence of illegal action. Canellos and his team were right to acknowledge the difference.
Readers can judge for themselves whether the Times article took the position that the lack of prosecution in the Lehman collapse was ultimately an injustice. I think most readers will conclude that it at least leans in that direction. But when the histories are written about who did what to whom before, during and after the financial crisis, aggressive prosecutors and blame-shifting political appointees will not rank high on the lists of heroes. Principled investigators like Cannellos will.
Source:
1 "Inside the End of the U.S. Bid to Punish Lehman Executives"
As a mom to 5 children, there are times that my children will look to me for answers to some of the most obscure questions. Does this ever happen to you? I can still remember looking into my little guy's eyes as he anticipated the answer to why glass doesn't smell. To this day I have yet to give an answer that would satisfy some of the most curious questions, no matter how much I try.
This is when it hit me.
There will be times that you can't satisfy every need or whim. Oh sure, there are times you will try, but more often than not, you will not succeed. But guess what? It's okay! You are not expected to cure every ailment or answer every question, it's quite okay to not know the answers.
This is why I tell my children that I am NOT a super hero but that they can be their own super hero. They've looked at me with confusing looks until just recently. They are now understanding that many will not be able to provide the adequate answers or provide the information that they desire. It is during those times when they must be their own super hero.
They must be comfortable and confident with their own understanding and be their own super hero.
They must be willing to go on their own adventures and experience their own successes and failures. They must not always rely on their parents because we are only here to guide them. As much as I want to hold them and squeeze them and protect them from every danger and evil that lurks in this world, I can not!
The only thing I can do is:
- Prepare them and help to build their confidence and self esteem and independence.
