Ken Lay Avoids Jail

Yes, OK, I admit it. It's a cruel headline. I'm sinking to the level of the right. But it's just human nature:

Sorry, Nicky, human nature-
Nothing I can do!
It's...
Schadenfreude!
Making me feel glad that I'm not you.

Or maybe it's that I'm still laughing from Cats Who Look Like Hitler. But MSNBC is reporting that former Enron CEO Ken Lay has died of a heart attack.

If I weren't so sure that the frothing gasbags on the right are going to start screaming "LIBERALS KILLED KEN LAY!!!" (and if you encounter one before I do, please leave the link in the comments), I'd say that it's sad that the case against Ken Lay has in essence resulted in the death penalty -- or maybe it's not. Now, I have no sympathy for the Enron traders who raked in millions while starving California of electricity losing their life savings because of the chicanery of Messrs. Lay and Skilling, but I do feel badly for the secretaries, the clerks, the janitors, cafeteria staff, and other low-level employees who thought they were being loyal to the team, only to find that the coach had stolen everything from them.

But if Ken Lay had had a conscience and a soul, perhaps he might not have ended up like this.

I'd like to believe that other corporate robber barons will learn from this, but somehow I don't think they will.